Itanagar: Marching towards a ‘Crime Free State’, Arunachal Pradesh has recorded lowest numbers of crime in 2013, compared to the past five years.
Cases of crime slumped in all police station areas scattered in 17 districts of this most difficult geographically located border state situated in the extreme north-eastern corner of the country.
The state had registered 2504 crimes in 2012, 2355 in 2011, 2552 cases in 2010 while, the highest 2554 criminal cases were recorded in 2009, according to data by the state police department.
Chief Minister Nabam Tuki, who holds charges of the Home portfolio, is committed to presenting Arunachal as a ‘peaceful and crime free’ state. The state recorded 1694 criminal cases in 2013, which is 810 less cases than that recorded in 2012, with a reduced percentage of 32.34 per cent.
As per statistics, crime has reduced in most of the 21 heads of Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP) department including major heads like murder, rape, extortion and crime against women in every district.
However, the data showed a marginal increase in cases of abduction.
The state has a scanty work force of a little over 11,000 police, including two armed battalions and three battalions of IRBN personnel, who are engaged in maintaining strong vigil to keep a peaceful atmosphere throughout the state.
Arunachal has about 84,000 sq km of geographical area, sharing its 1680 km-long international borders with China Myanmar and Bhutan and contributing its state boundary with the neighbouring Assam and Nagaland.
During 2013, the Police Department registered 40 cases of murder, compared to 73 recorded in 2012, with a reduced percentage of 45.20 per cent.
Crime against women also remarkably came down from 118 to 81 in 2013 with a rate of 31.35 per cent below than 2012 report.
Cases of extortion has decreased to 80 from 106 and dacoity and robbery came down to 61 from 85 in 2012.
However, the number of abductions have gone up to 89 in 2013 compared to 82 in 2012, with an increasing percentage of 7.8 per cent.
In 2013, there were 33 incidents of rape as against 46 in 2012, the crime data said.
Crime rate also came down in insurgency-dominated Tirap, Changlang, Lohit and newly-created Longding districts as it recorded 82, 143, 208 and 59 cases respectively, compared to 138, 249, 234 and 64 criminal cases in different heads in those districts in 2012.
The twin Capital Complex, Itanagar and Naharlogun, under the jurisdiction of Papum Pare district which was divided in two – Capital and Rural, remained the prime spot followed by insurgency affected Lohit district which recorded 208 crimes during 2013. The Capital registered 306 cases in 2013 against 517 in 2012.
Crime in Papum Pare Rural areas also came down remarkably to 70 during 2013, compared to 106 booked in 2012.
However, the least-populated Dibang Valley district with an area of 9,129 sq km, remained the most peaceful state.
The district has recorded only seven cases of crimes, including two of crime against women, in 2013 against 13 reported in 2012.
Other districts which recorded very few crimes during 2013, were Anjaw(12) and Upper Siang(38), the crime report added. (UNI)
