Y.S. RANA, HAMIRPUR (HIMACHAL PRADESH)—Himachal which was once known the safest state in the country but rate of crimes in the recent past has put the state police in place to take special and effective steps. Compared with rate of crimes in Punjab and Haryana, the state is far behind. But if the spurt of crimes in the state is of any indication, state will soon rub its shoulders with its big cousins Punjab and Haryana.
Last year, 130 cases of murders, 1449 theft and 660 cases of heinous crimes were reported across the state and 267 migrants were found guilty, reveals the official data.
While talking to locals of Barsar sub-division of district Hamirpur of Himachal Pradesh said that influx of migrant labourers in the area was a matter of worry for them. Retired Army personnel of village Nawan stated that menial works were done by locals has now become a history. These works were being done by the migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. Besides, in some cases they were plough the fields of locals, he added. Problem was acquiring proportion with passes of every day as rate of crimes has increased in the sub-division. Even it dragged local people towards crimes, he alleged. Blaming migrants for increase in crimes, locals have also protested against the inflow of migrants in the past but the authorities did not take any step.
On anonymity police authorities admitted increase in the crime rate. During the first quarter of this year, 45 FIRs have been registered in district Hamirpur. Over 800 FIRs have been registered across the state in the first quarter of this year. District Mandi tops the list with registration of 275 FIRs followed by district Shimla with 152; Kullu 104; Una 64; Solan 72 and Bilaspur 60 FIRs. As a whole, official data reveals that 267 migrant labourers were involved in 150 crimes in 2014. There were 130 murders reported across the state in 2014,of these, 18 murders were committed by migrant labourers and 33 migrant labourers were found guilty in these cases out of a total of 196 culprits.
The district wise analysis of figures further reveals that a total of 13 cases of murder were reported in Baddi (Solan) in past one year. Involvement of five migrant labourers was found in five murder cases here. Similarly, out of eight murder cases in Chamba, involvement of migrant labourer was found in one case. In Kangra, 26 murders were reported where a migrant labourer was found involved. Eighteen murders were reported in Shimla district in 2014. Of these five murders were committed by migrant labourers. Of total six murders in Sirmour district, nine migrants were found culprit in one murder case. Nine migrant labourers were found culprit in one murder case out of a total of five such cases reported in Solan district in same period.
Besides, they were found involved in heinous crimes too. A total of 49 migrants were found guilty in 40 heinous crimes committed by them out of a total of 660 such cases reported across Himachal in 2014. In Kangra district, three migrants were found guilty in two heinous crimes out of a total of 88 such crimes reported throughout district. Similarly in Kullu district, three migrant labourers were found guilty in three such crimes out of a total of 44 such incidents reported in 2014. Mandi district witnessed 99 such incidents in 2014. Involvement of six migrant labourers in four such criminal incidents was found here. 96 heinous criminal incidents were reported in Shimla district in 2014. Here too 12 migrant labourers committed 11 such incidents.