Criminal cases pile up over low rate of trials

SHILLONG: Files of criminal cases are piling up at police stations and in courts as the rate of trials in the State is alarmingly low.
In 2016, 1,624 murder cases were pending trial from previous years, showed Meghalaya police statistics.
Last year, 126 murder cases were sent for trial and only 29, which is 23 per cent, cases were convicted whereas 13 were either acquitted or discharged.
The report added that 1,704 murder cases were pending trial at the end of the year.
As far as rape cases are concerned, 1,066 were pending trial at the end of the year as 983 cases were pending trial from previous years.
In 2016, 168 rape cases were sent for trial whereas 64 were acquitted and 21 were acquitted or discharged.
The conviction in cases of arson is even more appalling as 166 were pending trial from previous years and nine more cases were carried forward to 2016. Four were convicted and two were acquitted.
The statistics revealed that 442 cases were pending trial from previous years. Last year, 46 cases were sent for trial. There was conviction in 23 cases and acquittal in 10.
A huge number of theft cases are also pending in the court for trial and police documents reveal that 1,945 cases were pending for trial in 2016.
The statistics also pointed out that pendency of criminal cases in the court has only increased last year as altogether 14,923 criminal cases were pending trial from previous years.
Last year, 2,058 cases were sent for trial. Conviction rate was 44.5 per cent (916) and acquittal was 29 per cent (553).
As per the 2016 statistics, 15,366 criminal cases were still pending trial at the end of the year.