LAHORE, Jan 11: Dacoits and robbers killed 40 people and plundered public property worth around Rs1.5 billion in the provincial metropolis in 2004.
Besides, the police stations in the city registered 120 cases of dacoity, 1,358 of robbery, 103 of theft, 131 of car snatching, 232 of motorcycle snatching, 1,038 of car theft, 2,063 of motorcycle theft, 262 of other vehicles, 983 of burglary, 153 of cattle theft, 164 of purse snatching and 3,086 cases of general theft.
The figures when compared to the last year's situation reflect a very sad state of law and order in the city, which witnessed an increase of 375 cases of car theft, 42 of car snatching, 38 of motorcycle snatching, 320 of motorcycle theft, 28 cases of snatching of other vehicles and 105 of other vehicles' theft.
There was an increase of 51 cases of dacoity, four of dacoity-cum-murder, 170 of robberies and over 600 cases of theft and burglary, besides a 100 per cent increase in kidnapping for ransom cases.
The situation in the rest of the province remained alarming with an overall 13 per cent increase in crime against property. Statistics of the Punjab from Jan to Oct shows that 50,258 cases of crime against property were registered in 2004 against 44,780 of the last year's.
Crimes registered in the province had seen an increase of 12 per cent to 30 per cent in different categories. It included 30.3 per cent increase in dacoities, 20.3 per cent in robberies, 10.4 per cent in burglary, 20 per cent in motor-vehicle theft, 20.8 per cent in cattle theft and 12.6 per cent increase in other thefts. However, motor vehicle snatching registered a decrease of six per cent.
The crime incidence continued soaring in the city and other parts of the province and the police remained busy in illegal activities, particularly keeping citizens in illegal detention and torture. Corruption, abuse of power and other such offences were part of a long list of charges levelled against the police.
In Lahore only, over 4,500 policemen were found guilty of the charges and punished accordingly. Their punishments included dismissal from service, demotion, and in some cases verbal warnings.
Worse still, harsh treatment of the police officials with the citizens continued unabated. A record of complaints against police at various platforms shows that over 80 per cent of them demand action against police for non-registration of cases and abuse of authority.
