SHILLONG: While there has been no dip in the crime rate in the State in the last five years, the rate of conviction has been on the lower side.
Meghalaya Police statistics reveal that in the year 2012, 137 murder cases were registered in the state out of which 46 were charge sheeted and final report was submitted in 54 cases. However, only in four cases the accused were convicted while in 10 others they were discharged.
Again in the year 2013, 166 murder cases were registered. While 53 cases were charge sheeted, the final report was submitted in 50 cases. Conviction was handed in six cases while the accused were discharged in seven cases.
As many as 159 murder cases were registered in the State in 2014 and while 80 of them were charge sheeted, the final report was submitted for 86 cases. Surprisingly, only in two cases the accused were convicted.
The police statistics also reveal that conviction rate in rape cases is also quite low in the State.
As per the statistics, 164 rape cases were reported in 2012 out of which 93 cases were charge sheeted and the accused were convicted only in seven cases.
In the year 2013, 183 rape cases were registered but conviction was done only in seven cases. In 2014, out of the total 118 rape cases registered, convictions were handed only in 12 cases.
When it came to thefts, 156 out of 543 theft cases in the state in 2012 were charge sheeted and eventually 24 convictions were handed.
The situation more or less remained the same in the year 2013 in which 177 out of 617 theft cases were charge sheeted but only 30 convictions were handed.
In 2014 out of a whopping 857 theft cases registered, convictions were awarded only in 25 cases.
The overall statistics revealed that in the year 2012, 2557 crimes cognizable under IPC were registered in Meghalaya out of which 1153 cases were charge-sheeted and final report was submitted in 880 cases. Convictions were handed to the accused only in 91 cases.
In the year 2013, 3259 crimes cognizable under IPC were registered out of which 1517 crimes were charge-sheeted and in 118 cases the accused were convicted.
The conviction rate slightly improved in the year 2014 in which 3679 crime cases under IPC were registered and 1944 were charge-sheeted. In 197 cases the accused were convicted. IGP Law and Order, GHP Raju said that once the case is charge sheeted, it is outside the purview of the police and is decided by the trial court.
