In Chandigarh, crimes against senior citizens surge by 11.4%, economic offences rise by 71.34%

In 2021, 22 senior citizens fell victim to various crimes, while the number rose to 74 in 2022. Among the 74 senior citizens, 61, including men and women, were victims of forgery, cheating and cyber-related crimes, while others were targeted by snatchers and burglars. Stolen properties, valued at Rs 11.05 crore in 2022, included motor vehicles, jewellery, household items, and private and public property. The police recovered stolen property worth Rs 3 crore, leaving Rs 8.05 crore yet to be recovered. In 2021, the stolen property amounted to Rs 7.2 crore, with the police recovering Rs 1.7 crore, approximately 23.5% of the stolen property.

Economic offences, encompassing forgery, cheating, and criminal breach of trust, led to 305 FIRs in 2022, compared to 178 in 2021. Among these, 26 cases reported losses ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 10 crore, with the FIRs registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Sector 17. Chandigarh’s population is approximately 12.15 lakh, served by around 6,500 police personnel across 18 police stations, including a Women Police Station in Sector 17 and a Cyber Cell police station in Sector 17.

SSP (UT) Kanwardeep Kaur clarified, “The increased FIR registrations do not necessarily indicate an overall rise in crime. Many cases, including those related to the NDPS Act, Excise Act, Gambling Act and Immigration Act, result from police vigilance and efforts to curb crime. Additionally, the free registration of FIRs and e-FIRs contribute to the increased numbers. Despite this, the low recovery ratio remains a concern, and we are actively working to improve it.”

In 2021, a total of 2,995 FIRs were registered, rising to 3,658 in 2022 across various Acts, including the Indian Penal Code, NDPS Act and Excise Act.