Crime rears its ugly head in Meerut division, cases up by 8.5%

Meerut: The crime has reared its ugly head again in the

Meerut

division comprising six districts which has shown a jump of 8.5% in the number of cases registered here in the first seven months of this year as compared to the corresponding period last year. Notably, the division had shown a dip of 1.5% in the crime cases registered in its six districts for the same period in 2015.

A total of 22,294 cases were registered here between January and July 2016 – 1756 cases more than 20,529 lodged here in the corresponding period last year. The first half of 2015, unlike this year, was a silver lining as the number of cases had come down from 20,851 registered during the same period in 2014.

During a divisional review meeting of law and order chaired by the divisional commissioner

Alok Sinha

, a sharp rise was observed in crime against women like rape, abduction, theft and vehicle theft. Among the districts in the division,

Bulandshahr

had the poorest track record of tackling crime against women as action could be taken only in 78.77% of total such cases reported in the district. The horrific gangrape of a 35-year-old woman and her teenage daughter on national highway 91 in the district on July 29 had shaken the nation.

Commissioner Sinha asked the police officials to take effective measures preparing strong action plan to curb the crime. He also instructed officials to figure out areas prone to eve-teasing and vehicle theft cases and install CCTV cameras there.

In the review meeting, it was also revealed that the maximum 390 persons were booked under the provisions of the Goonda Act in Ghaziabad during the first seven months of this year followed by 236 in Meerut, 197 in Gautam Buddh Nagar, 183 in Baghpat, 171 in Bulandshahr and 141 in Hapur.

During the same period, 10 cases where the National Security Act was invoked were registered in Baghpat and one case in Ghaziabad. No one else was booked under the

NSA

in other four districts of the division.

Inspector general (Meerut zone)

Ajay Anand

said, “Increasing crime is quite a periodical phenomenon. Registering more cases at police stations doesn’t mean that the crime rate has increased. It may be that police are taking cognisance even in the small crime and booking anti-social elements to send them behind the bars. Lodging more and more cases helps us win the confidence of general public as well as rein in people involved in criminal activities.”

“Besides, crime rate can never be static and there are several reasons that influence the crime graph. We review the graph every fortnight following which area and what kind of crime is on rise and change our plan of action accordingly. As chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that there would be no tolerance regarding crime against women, each and every such incident is being registered,” he added.