Nil rape cases in Dimapur, Niuland and Chümoukedima from Jan-June
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 6
The law and order situation in Dimapur, over the past six months “has been peaceful and under control,” as per the Dimapur Police Commisionerate. While the occurrence of violent crime has been relatively low, extortion and theft continues to remain a challenge even as the police have set into motion a special “action plan” to combat extortion, also known as, illegal taxation.
Nevertheless, the Dimapur Police Commissionerate maintained that incidence of extortion has reduced.
“Under the Dimapur Police Action Plan, Dimapur Police is putting extra enforcement to control extortion and illegal taxation activities. Since the implementation of the District Action Plan on 16/09/2021, extortion cases have come down,” stated a media handout issued by the Commissionerate at a press conference on June 6.
The half yearly crime data, from January 1 to June 3, 2022, was inclusive of figures recorded in the newly created Niuland and Chümoukedima districts. Policing in the two new districts is still being administered by the Dimapur Commissionerate pending the appointment of district police chiefs.
The three districts combined accounted for almost 50 percent of the total cases registered in Nagaland from January till May 31. According to Commissioner of Police, Rothihu Tetseo, out of the 735 cases reported in the state during the said period, 348 were from the three districts.
As on June 3, the three districts have recorded a total of 356 cases, of which, theft (including vehicle theft), alongwith liquor, drug and extortion offences accounted for more than 80 percent of the total cases registered. As per the data handed out at the press conference, theft led the pack with 137 cases, followed by 49 liquor (NTP Act) offences, 38 extortion and 34 drug (NDPS Act) offences.
Majority of the theft cases registered were reportedly vehicle theft (mostly 2-wheelers) but no figures were provided. Without giving numbers, the CP maintained that a good number of stolen vehicles have also been recovered. He though admitted that curbing vehicle theft remains a big challenge for the police.
Comparatively, as far as extortion was concerned, the incidence in 2021 (from January till December 21) stood at 738 cases. The total in 2020 was 857. For further comparison, the undivided Dimapur district recorded 65 cases of extortion from June till September 23, 2021.
As per the data, the three districts have not reported any rape case this year, so far. It has through recorded 3 murder cases, including one which recently occurred in May. ‘Causing death due to negligence’ accounted for 10, attempt to murder- 3. The number of cases registered under the crime head— ‘Kidnapping and Abduction’ stood at 6.
As opposed to the frequent occurrence of road mishaps, only 3 cases were registered under “rash driving.”
The combined total of cases registered under the NLTP, Drugs & Cosmetic and NDPS Acts stood at 83 and 102 arrests. It also spelled out the list of contrabands confiscated, which ranged from IMFL and pharmaceutical drugs to heroin and brown sugar.
Extortion along with Arms cases accounted for 58 cases with the data informing that 93 individuals were arrested in connection to the cases. Firearms confiscated totalled 27 along with 1130 rounds of ammunition and 1 hand grenade. It listed the number of people detained under the National Security Act at 10.
It further informed that of the 58 cases registered under extortion and the Arms Act, 18 were detected by the Assam Rifles.
In connection to traffic offences, it informed that 7500 defaulters were “challaned” or penalized. It did not specify as to the nature of the offence and whether a first or second offence.
The answer was in the negative, when queried if the police are also penalising vehicles on the road without working tail-lights. “First part of solving any problem is to admit. We admit it is there,” commented DCP (Crime), who is also the PRO, Bharat Laxman Mankad.
SIT probing fatal assault case
The police further admitted to probing an as yet officially undisclosed incident in Dimapur, in which a man succumbed following an alleged assault. Queried on the incident, the PRO replied that the incident occurred sometime on the intervening night of May 20-21. The victim, a 38 year-old man from Assam was allegedly assaulted by a group of youths at a party in Golaghat Road and later on found dead in a hotel room. The PRO said that 5 persons have been arrested and declined to divulge further details, while only stating that a Special Investigation Team is on the case.
Meanwhile, there has still been no breakthrough on the tragic hit and run case of May 26, in which a student of St Joseph University was killed. According to the PRO, the police have collected CCTV footages from various locations and which have seen dispatched for forensic analysis. The type of vehicle is known but the PRO said that the police have been unable to discern its registration number from mostly grainy CCTV visuals.
