Himachal saw 1,011 rape cases, 248 murders in 3 years: CM Sukhu

The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly was presented with stark and unsettling statistics on Friday, revealing both a troubling rise in serious crimes and a staggering toll from natural disasters over recent years. During Question Hour, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who also oversees the Home portfolio, submitted a written reply confirming that the state recorded 1,011 rape cases and 248 murders in the past three years.

A disturbing crime ledger

Responding to BJP MLA Surinder Shourie, the Chief Minister informed the House that Himachal registered 1,462 serious crimes over the same period. These include 1,011 rape cases, 248 murders and 203 suicides, reflecting persistent law-and-order challenges in several districts. Sukhu said investigations had been completed in 1,313 cases, while 149 cases remain pending.

Of these pending matters, 148 cases are under investigation by the Himachal Pradesh Police, while one case, concerning the mysterious death of Vimal Negi, whose body was recovered from the Bhakra Dam on March 18, is under CBI probe. The High Court ordered the central investigation following a petition filed by Negi’s wife, Kiran Negi, questioning the circumstances of his death.

Calamity’s toll across the hills

In another grim disclosure, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi revealed that 4,468 people have lost their lives in the state due to various natural disasters in the past two-and-a-half years, up to October 31, 2025. The data was presented in response to a question raised by Paonta Sahib BJP MLA Sukh Ram Chaudhary.

Negi informed the House that 4,112 affected families have been provided disaster relief, while 356 cases are still awaiting compensation. These pending cases, he clarified, were held up due to incomplete formalities at the local administrative level. However, he assured lawmakers that district authorities were working continuously to clear the remaining files and that all eligible families would receive compensation promptly once procedures were adhered to.

Disaster relief: Shortfall and spending

Addressing related queries from Congress MLAs Kewal Singh Pathania and Kuldeep Singh Rathore, and BJP MLAs Deep Raj and Jeet Ram Katwal, the Revenue Minister said although the Central Government had announced a Rs 1,500-crore disaster relief package, the funds have not yet been released to the state.

Negi said over the past three years, the Centre has allocated Rs 3,451.43 crore, while the state government has contributed Rs  769.82 crore as its share for disaster management. Out of the total allocation of Rs  3,686.10 crore, the government has already spent Rs  3,345.02 crore up to October 31, leaving Rs  341.08 crore unspent as of now.

Education board awaits pending dues

BJP MLA Inder Dutt Lakhanpal raised concerns over the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education not receiving full payment for printing free textbooks supplied to government schools. Education Minister Rohit Thakur responded that the board printed textbooks worth Rs  154.41 crore in the past three years. The Education Department has so far released Rs  98.67 crore, while Rs  55.73 crore are still pending. Thakur assured that the pending amount would be cleared once budgetary provisions were available, adding that all payments were being made strictly in accordance with financial norms.