Twenty Seven criminal cases against city cops in ’98

The police had a tough time controlling law and order as a large number of protest rallies and demonstrations were staged during the year. In all, 993 rallies and 713 dharnas were organised while there were 296 chain fasts, 69 strikes, 64 processions and 25 anti-encroachment drives.

The Chandigarh Police arrested 15 terrorists and recovered a huge quantity of arms and explosives including 2.8 kg of PETN, two hand-grenades, nine revolvers/pistols and two rifles.

They also seized nearly 2.7 kg of smack/heroin, 5.2 kg of charas and 40 kg of poppy husk. They also averted an attempt to break the Burail Jail.A total of 16 murder cases were registered as compared to 17 in 1997, with the police claiming to have solved 11 of them. There were also 22 attempt-to-murder cases with police solving 20 of them. The police also solved all four cases of dacoity. Police could manage to work out 312 out of 765 theft cases, and 48 out of 168 cases of burglary. All 10 cases of rape were solved.

The police settled 90 out of 122 fatal accidents that took place during the year. The number of total IPC cases dropped from last year’s 2181 to 1915 in 1998 with police registering a success rate of nearly 70 per cent.

A substantial hike in Excise Act cases was recorded in the past year vis-a-vis 1997, as 144 cases were registered as compared to 92 in 1997.Nearly 6,000 complaints — 4,637 of them at public windows — were received by the police, while a total of 469 cases were registered. Maximum complaints, 1096 in all, were received in cases related to economic offences and was followed by 405 complaints of matrimonial disputes. The disputes between landlords and tenants accounted for 193 complaints.

It was a bad year not for every policemen as seven sub-inspectors, 26 assistant sub-inspectors, 23 head constables and 22 constables got promotions.