Unsafe in Mohali: Crimes are routine, cops care less

MOHALI: In the first eight months of the year, not a day passed when miscreants did not strike in Mohali district, raising a question mark over the efficiency of the police.The latest crime data of Mohali police shows significant rise in burglary, theft and snatching incidents. On an average, at least two incidents are being reported every day in the district.

The district has recorded a high crime rate in the first eight months as compared to the corresponding period last year.And the number of solved cases is very low. As per the police data, around 501 cases were reported in the district from January to August, whereas 393 were reported in 2017.

Miscreants have targeted residences, shops, factories, motorists and even passers-by. Official record of Mohali police showed that 342 cases of theft, 115 of burglary and 44 of snatching were registered at various police stations of the district in the first eight months, while last year the numbers were 279, 71and 43, respectively.

The police have managed to solve only 29.34% of the cases, while the figure was 35% last year. Records showed that police solved 21 cases of burglary out of 115, 107 of theft out of 342 and 19 of snatching out of 44 this year. Last year, they had solved 17 cases of burglary out of 71, 98 of theft out of 279 and 24 of snatching out of 43 during the same period.

S Choudhury, vice-president of Mohali Senior Citizens’ Association, said, “There is no fear of police, and law and order situation is at its worst. It is difficult to travel on Banur-Landran road at night. Drug addicts roam the road and the police take no action. Anti-social elements can often be seen in Phase III-B1 park, but police have preferred to ignore. The new PCR vehicles provided to police personnel are being used to sleep in after parking at roadsides.”

Harnam Singh, a resident of Chatt village, near Zirakpur, said, “The common man is suffering as the police are busy providing security to VIPs. They have failed to provide a safe and secure environment to us.”

SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal remained unavailable for comments. Ropar (range) IG V Neerja said, “Police are registering FIRs in all reported cases. As a result, the number has gone up.We are trying to solve the cases and make Mohali safe.”