The Tribune, January 1, 2003

Haryana Police claim success in arresting crime
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, December 31
The Haryana Police have created a record in arresting 1,552 proclaimed offenders, 10,476 bail-jumpers and 417 other criminals allegedly involved in 31 cases of dacoities, 53 cases of robberies, 105 cases of burglaries, 177 cases of thefts and 81 other cases registered with various police stations in different parts of the state during the year 2002. Disclosing this, Mr M. S. Malik, Director-General of Police, told mediapersons here on Monday that the police had also recovered stolen and looted property worth Rs 8.79 crore during the year. This recovery, he said, was estimated around 82 per cent, which is the highest in the country.

He disclosed that crimes in the state had been on the wane during the current year. The number of murder cases had been fewer by 30, dowry-related murder by 26, rape by 43, kidnapping by 12, assault by 195, dacoity by 15, loot by 43, thefts by 133 and dacoity-cum-murder by six. On the other hand, the police had detected more cases relating to social crimes during the period under review. The police had registered 1,106 more cases under the Excise Act, 1,056 more cases under the Gambling Act, 782 more cases under the Indian Arms Act, 103 more cases under the NDPS Act and 14 more cases under the Anti-Corruption Act compared to the cases registered during the last year.

According to Mr Malik, the state government had taken a series of measures for the welfare of policemen in the state. It had already allocated Rs 106 crore for this purpose between the years 2000 and 2002. Of this, Rs 55 crore had been spent on various welfare schemes and construction of houses. Another sum of Rs 23 crore had been spent on replacing old vehicles and purchasing new ones and Rs 28 crore for purchasing modern equipment for security. Similarly, the Central government had allocated Rs 45.71 crore for modernising the police in Haryana by the end of the current financial year. Under this scheme, 22 police stations, two police lines, in Fatehabad and Rewari, and one police post were set up during the current financial year.