Telangana: Overall crime declines but rapes on the rise

Hyderabad: Though there is an overall decrease in incidents of crime that took place in Telangana state by five per cent and property offences like burglaries, robberies and chain snatching offences by eight per cent, cases of rape, kidnapping and rioting are on the rise. Recovery of stolen property also increased by 20 per cent in the state, reveals data of the state police.

Visible policing and technological initiatives have helped in reduction of  property offences, said Director General of Police M. Mahendar Reddy while sharing the data on Sunday. As many as 1,02,307 cases were reported across the 31 districts of Telangana in 2018, which is less than yesteryear’s number of 1,07,428, making a reduction of five per cent.

Chain snatching offences were reduced by 43 per cent, dacoities by 18 per cent robberies by 29 per cent, bank thefts by 10 per cent and ATM thefts by 51 per cent. However, murders of gain have increased by 5 per cent. There is a reduction in cases of cheating (two per cent), counterfeit currency cases (36 per cent) and cases of criminal breach of trust (12 per cent). Bodily offences on the rise with nine per cent.

Crimes against women reduced by seven per cent.

Informing that the increase in reporting of cases of rape, kidnapping and outrage of modesty is a result of awareness among women to lodge complaints without fear, DGP Mahendar Reddy said that in 2017, the number of cases of rape was 1,414, while this year, cases reported were 1,565. Cases of kidnapping have increased by 20 per cent and rioting by 17 per cent. 

In 2017, as many as 14,528 cases of crime against women were recorded and the numbers this year are 13,469.

About 4,641 cases of outrage of the modesty of women were reported across the state, which saw an increase of nine per cent compared to the previous year. 

Crimes against SCs/STs increased by three per cent from 1,587 in 2017 to 1,624 in 2018.

Operation Muskan
As many as 6,019 children trafficked to work as labourers were rescued and 3,390 of them handed over to their parents.  The remaining children are currently at rescue homes and efforts are on to trace their parents and reunite them with their families. About 432 persons have been arrested in connection with cases of child labour.

Public involvement helps reduce crimes
Aiming to increase public participation in policing to combat crimes, state police will start interacting with citizens to learn their needs and improve service delivery to ensure a sense of safety among people. “Improving uniform service delivery by keeping communities at the heart of our policing approach,” is our goal for 2019, said DGP M. Mahendar Reddy.

In Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates, installation of CCTV cameras, modernisation of police stations, starting ‘Bharosa’ centres in all districts will be ensured to increase a sense of safety, he said.

Fingerprints of about 8,24,010 persons are already available with the state FPB (Finger Print Bureau), using which 354 cases were already solved. Mobile devices with police personnel have helped in tracing 6.832 ex-offenders. “We are witnessing a shift from traditional to digital crimes. Cyber crime police station, data analysis unit, video enhancement technology, facial recognition, fingerprint bureau and investigation support centre will be started in all police stations," said the DGP.

He said that detection, investigation and prevention of crime will improve the criminal justice system and handling security threats will be made easy with real-time crime analysis and mapping. In order to combat emerging crimes, a sustainable approach of integrating information available with various departments like courts, jails, fingerprint bureau and real-time crime analysis and mapping will be taken up across the state.the DGP said.

“Improving uniform service delivery will be increased by keeping communities at the heart of policing. For this, police personnel across the state will visit residential communities in the first fortnight of January to take note of the needs of people and do the needful. Feedback channels will be provided to improve service delivery," he said.

Responding to a query on increasing cases of caste pride killing, DGP Mahendar Reddy said, "Officers of all the ranks are already sensitized about such incidents. Involvement of communities in policing will provide more information about the occurrence of such incidents which can help in preventing ghastly crimes. Such cases will be considered as a priority and we will aim at speedy justice to the victims.”

The DGP also said that the sensational cases of EAMCET scam and slain gangster Nayeemuddin will be charge-sheeted soon as the investigation is almost at the final stage.