New Delhi: Delhi saw a four percent increase in crime in 2011 with women and senior citizens being the most vulnerable, Police Commissioner BK Gupta said on Friday, stressing the safety of these two sections and battling terror will top the force’s agenda.
“While the crime rate was 313.06 per lakh (100,000) in 2010, it rose to 318.47 per lakh in 2011,” said Gupta at the Delhi Police’s annual press conference held here.
The number of cases of molestation, attempt to murder and kidnapping reported in the capital rose to 53,353 from 51,292 in 2010.
While vehicle theft and heinous crimes were also on the rise in the capital in 2011, murders dipped by 4 percent over 2010 with police registering 543 murder cases in 2011 as against 565 in 2010, according to Delhi Police statistics released here.
Street crime also reported a declining trend and rape by strangers too fell in 2011.
Police registered 568 cases of rapes and claimed to have solved 98 percent of them.
According to Delhi Police officials, in 2011, 97.54 percent of the rape accused were either the relatives, acquaintances or neighbours of the victim. According to the commissioner, 12,788 complaints were registered by senior citizens in 2011.
Acknowledging the threats to these sections, Gupta vowed to counter crimes against them.
“We will try to curb the crime against women and senior citizens in the capital,” he said.
The war against terror will top the Delhi Police agenda this year since the capital is vulnerable to such strikes, Gupta said.
“In 2012, we will focus on terror groups and the war against terror will be the top agenda of Delhi Police, as metros like Delhi and Mumbai are more vulnerable to terror attacks.”
He said that a pan-India Indian Mujahideen (IM) module was busted and its seven operatives were arrested in November 2011.
“We also busted a Babbar Khalsa International module and arrested Pakistan nationals who were associated with ISI (Inter Services Intelligence),” he added.
In connection with drugs peddling cases, which saw an increase of 5 percent over 2010, police arrested 1,127 people. “To tackle the menace of drugs, it is necessary to register more cases as it will lead to more arrests,” he added.
There was also an increase in the quantity of smack, heroin, opium and marijuana recovered in 2011.
Apart from civilians, over 10,800 cops were brought to book in 2011 with several punishments including dismissal for corruption or dereliction of duty.
The incidents of robbery had no major change as they only recorded a small decline in figures in 2011 over 2010. (IANS)