By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: In a clear indication that crime is on the rise in the State, an alarming number of 2381 cases of cognizable crimes under the IPC were reported from the State in 2012.
As per the statistics, 137 murders were reported from the State while a whopping number of 158 rape cases were also reported. 85 cases of abduction were also reported in 2012.
As many as 151 reports of burglary and 548 reports of theft were also recorded in the previous year.
It may be mentioned that out of the 137 murders, 31 were reported from East Khasi Hills district.
With regards to rape, East Khasi Hills led the way with as many as 58 cases being reported in the district, while 26 rape cases were reported from Ri Bhoi.
When it comes to theft, East Khasi Hills once again led the way as the district reported 208 theft cases out of the 548 cases that were recorded throughout the State.
When contacted, East Khasi Hills SP M Kharkrang said that a greater number of crimes were reported in the district since it is one of the biggest districts with a large area and a huge population. Migration of people from elsewhere to the district has also compounded the problem, he said.
Reacting to a query about the conviction rates, he admitted that it was unsatisfactory because of pending trials. “We are trying our best to curb growing crime,” he added.