Times of India, January 17, 2003

Crime rate up by 18% in Faridabad
LALIT MOHAN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2003 05:06:38 AM ]

Of the four districts in the Gurgaon range, Gurgaon at three per cent recorded the lowest increase in crime figures last year. Faridabad at 18 per cent took the lead. Rewari had a growth of five per cent and Mahendragarh was close to the top at 15. Overall the range had a 13 per cent increase in crime.

In 2002, 12,812 cases were registered, against 11,391 in 2001. Police do not deny that there has been an overall increase, but say that the figures for the more heinous crimes have dropped.

Of the four districts, Faridabad is the most populous at 22 lakh. Gurgaon comes next with 16.5 lakh people, Mahendragarh has 8 lakh residents and Rewari 7.6 lakh. Their respective overall figures of recorded crime were 6761, 3519, 1272 and 1260. However, in statistics for murders, Gurgaon still leads, though the figure has declined from 68 to 62 for the year. Faridabad also showed a decrease from 68 to 56. Rewari, with 24 murders in 2002 recorded an increase of three. Mahendragarh had three homicides less than in 2002. Cases of dacoity and rape had a larger proportionate increase in Rewari and Mahendragarh, though in absolute terms the other two districts remained ahead.

The respective figures for rape incidents in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rewari and Mahendragarh were 27, 37, 14 and 14. Faridabad topped in vehicle thefts with 432 FIRs against 428, and dowry deaths, recording 19 against 18, in the previous year. For the latter crime Gurgaon’s figure was 11, down from 17.

Rajiv Rathee adds: Gurgaon Police Range IGP Swaranjeet Singh, in his wireless New Year greetings to the cops on behalf of DGP M.S. Malik, said that law and order situation improved during 2002.

The decline is due to various steps taken by the department like setting up of an exclusive women’s cell, round-the-clock patrolling,   and cooperation of the conscientious public. He, however, requested the media to highlight not just the unhealthy aspects of the social malaise but also the success of the cops in solving cases of robbery, dacoity, etc.