Punjab witnessed a 13 percent increase in overall crime across the state in 2020 amid the lockdown restrictions following the outbreak of Covid-19, according to NCRB data. At the same time, drugs related cases dropped by 40 percent in the state.
In 2020, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) a total of 82,875 cases were registered against 72,855 cases in the state in 2019, marking a 13 percent rise in the overall crime rate in Punjab.
The latest report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) states that a total of 6,909 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were registered in the state against 11,536 in 2019.
According to the NCRB data though the drug related cases dropped significantly, the recovery of heroin remained reportedly high in the state. Punjab police seized a total of 759 kg heroin in 2020. In 2019, it stood at 460 kg.
Talking about the situation, a senior special task force officer said, “The smaller number of cases was registered because there was a full lockdown for almost three months, later followed by other restrictions. The focus was on implementing lockdown guidelines and the war against drugs could have suffered,”
The number of cases of crimes against women has fallen in the state in 2020 as compared to 2019. Punjab’s rate of filing chargesheets in crimes against women was nearly 77 percent against the national average of 78.7 percent. And in the country, the crimes against women dipped by 21.1 percent, the NCRB data indicated.
According to the NCRB report, the state recorded a 10 percent surge in cases of murder and suicide. Meanwhile, no sedition cases were recorded in 2020.
The NCRB report, in terms of crime against children, noted that the registered cases fell to 2,121 last year compared to 2,625 in 2019. Punjab also recorded a total of 63 cases of deaths due to dowry in 2020 as compared to 69 in 2019.
However, the senior officials of Punjab Police cited the increase in the number of cases due to the registration of FIRs for violations of Covid-19 guidelines.
Read all the Latest News , Breaking News and Ukraine-Russia War Live Updates here.
Comments
0 comment