Project to rehab former addict criminals cuts crime rate

KOLKATA: City police’s Facebook appeal for crowdfunding a rehabilitation project for criminals with addiction — Project Shuddhi — had earlier received a warm response and now, the actual benefits are getting visible, claimed cops.

Not only have the cops tied up with three private companies — one an auto manufacturing giant, the other makes LED lights and the third one from Bankura — to induct around 35 of the 85 reformed criminals, there are also efforts to try and employ them as full-time drivers and civic cops. But the real achievement, cops feel, has been a slide in the crime rate. Across Kolkata, around 120 odd house thefts got reported a year ago. The number has come down to around 55 a month now. Similarly, car thefts have witnessed a sharp fall — from a high of 70-75 to 20-22 a month now.

“While we have registered the sharp drop through meticulously planned investigations, we found Shuddhi an important tool. So far, 85 petty criminals have reformed themselves and have being declared free of drug abuse. We are organizing job fairs where we are expecting at least 10-15 to land a job. We have begun training them in various vocational courses,” said an officer, who is a part of the project.

Earlier, the Kolkata Police Facebook appeal for crowdfunding Project Shuddhi has received an overwhelming response. The respondents included Sonika 27 Foundation, the NGO set up by relatives and friends of model Sonika Singh Chauhan, who died in a car crash on Rashbehari Avenue last year. The foundation agreed to fund the rehabilitation of five such men. Since the project has been launched, around a hundred individuals, NGOs and corporates have enrolled themselves as sponsors.