Obstructing cabbies reason for Bengaluru’s No. 2 crime rank

BENGALURU: The city can breathe easy. It transpires that Bengaluru hasn’t suddenly become the hotbed of criminal activities as the crime data published on Thursday made it seem. While statistics don’t lie, a closer reading of the data shows the biggest contributor to the quantum jump in the city’s crime figures is a ‘trifling’ section of the Indian Penal Code.One that is invoked against cab drivers for parking their vehicles by the side of the road waiting for rides.
A total of 13,759 cases under Section 283 of the IPC — which attracts Rs 200 fine for causing danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation — were slapped against drivers in 2016, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
The year-on-year rise in heinous crime cases is only marginal, say police officers.
Rise in number of robberies, murders for gain in Bengaluru
In contrast, in 2015, just 3,502 cases had been filed under this section. The 300% (10,257) increase in cases is the major reason for the rise in the total number of IPC crimes registered in Bengaluru to 45,797 in 2016, from 35,576 in 2015.
After a brainstorming session on what catapulted Bengaluru tothesecond position in the country with regard to crimes, police commissioner T Suneel Kumar told TOI: “Our efforts to crack down against drivers, who block the free movement of other vehicles on the roads, have increased the number of cases booked under IPC Section 283. This is not a crime that is punishable with a jail term. Since cases booked under Section 283 are part of IPC cases, the overall IPC cases have increased.”
If youlook at thestatistics of serious crime incidents — like murder, rape and kidnap — then Bengaluru has recorded a rise that’s in line with the accepted 2-3 % annual increase in crime rate. Suneel Kumar maintained that while murders for gain saw a marginal rise from 11 cases in 2015 to 14 in 2016 and robberies from 363 to 534 during the period, there has been a decline in incidents of chain-snatchings, burglaries during day and theft.
Referring to Benguluru’s new notoriety as a crime capital, additional director general of police Bhaskar Rao, who is in charge of the directorate of civil rights enforcement, said: “Statistics don’t lie, but interpreting the right way makes thedifference. Instead of reading it as a hike in cases, it should be treated as a matter of pride that Karnataka police do not turn away complainants and deny them justice. If the police department is hounded for its willingness to lodge cases, the personnel will become nervous and resist registration of cases.”
Former DG&IGP S T Ramesh said, “It’s not correct to arrive at a conclusion based on statistics alone. Increase in crime would merely represent a rise in reporting of the crime. We should encourage free registration of cases without worrying about statistics. Increase in crime figures for Bengaluru should be analyzed on more scientific lines.”