Crime statistics a symbol of transparency: Haryana DGP

The Crime in India-2023 report reflects the transparent policy and commitment of the Haryana Police towards public interest. This was stated by Director General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur.

In 2023, a total of 2,24,216 FIRs were registered in the state, placing Haryana at the fourth position in the country in terms of FIR registrations. He emphasised that these figures were not a sign of excessive crime, but rather the result of a transparent and citizen-centric policy of registering every case. Upon closer examination, approximately 67,000 of these cases were related to electricity and water theft, while 15,529 pertained to missing persons. Thus, 83,113 cases were confined to just these two categories. Excluding them, the actual crime rate dropped significantly, placing Haryana well below the top 10 states nationally, he said.

He highlighted that one of the significant reforms in the power sector since 2017 had been curbing electricity theft. As a result, a large number of power theft cases began to be detected. Consequently, Haryana began registering a significant number of FIRs on electricity and water theft, unlike most other states, where such cases were either not registered or were very few, he said. The DGP further said analysis showed that nearly 67,000 such FIRs were registered in Haryana alone.

Kapur said Haryana was the first and only state in the country where 100 per cent FIRs were registered for missing persons and children. Whether someone left home voluntarily or in cases of severe circumstances, such as abduction, the state police ensured that an FIR was filed in every case and that action was taken on priority.

The NCRB report reveals that in 2023, approximately 32,000 such cases were registered nationwide, with 15,529 cases specifically pertaining to Haryana. In other states, the number is either very low or negligible, while Haryana has made this its consistent policy.

Speaking on FIR registration policy, he said it was a good policy and that the Haryana Police would continue to take the necessary steps in future. The figures also revealed that in 56 percent of the cases registered in Haryana, chargesheets had been filed, he said. This meant that the police not only acted according to rules but also completed the investigation process properly.

On the Drug-Free Haryana Campaign, Kapur said the state police annually made nearly 5,500 arrests under the NDPS Act, including nearly 1,000 major traffickers. Along with breaking the supply chain of narcotics, efforts were also being made to reduce demand. More than 4,000 villages and wards in the state had already been declared drug-free, and by the end of this year, the target was to declare 60 to 70 percent of villages drug-free, he said. Simultaneously, efforts were being made to strengthen de-addiction centres.