January 3, 2002	Thursday	Shawwal 18, 1422

HYDERABAD, Jan 2: The people of Hyderabad bid farewell to 2001 that saw police grappling with kidnappers and criminals and people continued to be detained in police lock-ups without any remand or legal justification.

However, there was a reduction in major offences like kidnapping for ransom and bomb blasts.

Around 224 people including men, women, children, policemen and criminals lost their lives while 499 were injured in 2001.

A total of 109 people were found in illegal detention during raids by judges and magistrates. Besides, a total number of 12,150 under-trial prisoners could not be produced last year on account of non-availability of escort or shortage of prisoners’ vans.

More than 100 cases of burns were reported to the Civil Hospital, the majority of them women as violence against women by their in-laws continued.

In other cases where women were not subjected to violence they themselves committed suicidal acts by sprinkling oil or petrol over their body in the wake of circumstances that forced them to resort to such extreme measures.

Of the cases reported, 10 males and 12 females expired.

Three cases, horrifying in nature, were reported this year in which three women were either burnt or tortured to death. These women included Parveen Sheikh, Falak Naz, and Nasreen.

The first two were burnt to death, according to their relatives, and the last one lost her life after suffering the worst form of torture.

Parveen Sheikh suffered 80 per cent burn injuries in her house under mysterious circumstances in October.

Falak Naz, according to her parents, was burnt by her husband and in-laws in Rohri and died in the Civil Hospital Hyderabad in September.

Nasreen was found dead in her house under mysterious circumstances in June.

Police acted wisely in all these cases and arrested the in-laws including the husbands of the women killed. Their cases are pending trial.

The crime rate indicates that cases of kidnapping, kidnapping for ransom, or bomb blasts show a visible decline after police made a major effort to contain such incidents.

According to official figures of the police, as compared to 81 cases of kidnapping in 2000, 66 cases of kidnapping were reported in 2001. Similarly, against 15 cases of kidnapping for ransom in 2000 only nine such cases were reported in 2001.

Police lodged 104 murder cases in 2001 against 99 in 2000 whereas 82 cases of attempted murder were also lodged.

A total number of 12 cases of rape were reported.

Police lost four policemen in two separate encounters, apparently on account of ill-planning by the raiding team.

Police successfully rescued a hostage, Dr. Sirajul Haque, from the defence area after several days of his kidnapping but due to haste shown by police officials the main culprits, who demanded ransom over the telephone from a public telephone booth, managed to escape.