No let up in crimes despite Covid curbs

BHUBANESWAR: Despite restrictions on the movement of people during the lockdown, crimes increased in six police station areas here last year compared to 2019. However, the overall crime rate in all 21 police station limits have decreased.
Official sources said Khandagiri, Capital, Airfield, Airport, Tamando and Balipatna police stations registered more number of cases last year (till November 30, 2020) as against the previous year.
Registration of cases increased to 794 from 760 in Khandagiri police station – from 250 to 254 in areas under Airfield police station, from 164 to 171 in areas under Tamando police station and from 339 to 352 in areas under Balipatna police station. The figure of Airport police station had remained the same at 252 in 2019 and 2020 (till November 30).
Police said bulk of cases involved marital dispute, domestic violence and petty arguments with neighbours. “We did not witness any rise in street crimes, like snatching or theft as people could not move out due to the lockdown. Most crimes were reported from within the families and among neighbours,” a senior police officer said.
In April 2020, chief minister Naveen Patnaik asked police to take action against those, promoting domestic violence. Police launched a programme, where cops called up women, who were earlier subjected to domestic violence, and asked about their well-being.
The overall registration of cases in all the 21 police stations here (excluding Bharatpur police station, which was inaugurated on December 30, 2020) came down last year. Altogether 6,922 cases were registered in the 21 police stations here last year as against 8,229 cases in 2019.
While registration of murder cases increased marginally from 39 to 40, robbery cases shot up to 330 from 266. All other forms of crime, including rape cases decreased last year as compared to the previous year. While not a single criminal was booked under the National Security Act (NSA) in 2018 and 2019, a record number of 16 goons were booked under the stringent law last year.
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