BHOPAL: Crime in the city has increased in the first month of the Police Commissionerate system. Vehicle thefts, thefts and burglaries are higher than those reported during the same period last year and in December 2021.
The city witnessed property offences and serious body offences during this period. It includes the two blind murders reported in Ratibad and Koh-e-Fiza. The police are yet to identify the deceased in the blind murder cases. As per the data sourced by TOI, police have registered 16 attempt-to-murder cases in January, which is higher than the number of such cases reported in the previous months.
Crime against women is also rising since December last year and the trend continues in February. Senior police officers maintain that the Police Commissionerate system will take at least six months to tackle the crime rate. Police have prepared a list of habitual offenders. Police have served notices to over 5,000 listed criminals under preventive sections of the IPC and CrPC for the bound over the process.
The process aims to get the habitual offenders to sign bonds to comply with the law and ensure the maintenance of peace. Police will monitor over 400-500 habitual offenders at each of the police stations in the city.
During the said period, two cases have raised serious questions over the working of the city police. These include thefts committed right under the nose of the Shahpura and Gautam Nagar police.
A minor boy stole cash from a temple's donation box on Shahpura police station premises. A scooter theft occurred in the parking lot of a gas relief hospital in Gautam Nagar police station premises. These thefts took place in broad daylight. The video grabs of the CCTV cameras installed on the premises went viral on social media.
The criminals even targeted the homes of two police personnel in the Ratibad Area. They have targeted a driver of ACP of the same zone. Police have allegedly registered serious crimes as simple theft or lost goods, especially for mobile snatching.
Police stations concerned are trying all tricks to lower the number of crimes in their area, alleged an officer requesting anonymity.
Police are not registering loot cases as they fall under serious offences and attract the attention of senior officers, said an officer wishing anonymity.
Police Commissioner Makrand Deuskar said, "House break-in cases have risen, but the property offences are a different ball game. There has been a major decline in non-cognizable offences. Crimes reported to the Dial-100 have shown a decline. It is, but the result of action taken against the offenders under preventive sections."
On the rise in body offences, especially in the attempt to murder cases in January, he said that offenders were booked under the strictest sections possible to check such crimes.
He added that due to the strictness of the police, such cases declined this month.
