Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has called for specific details of grave crimes reported in all cities/districts during the period 2018-2022. The move follows a review meeting he had with senior police officers on January 19 to assess the law and order situation in the State.
The data compiled by the police headquarters for the review meeting revealed a substantial increase in the number of grave crime cases reported in many cities/districts, including Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Cuddalore and Dharmapuri, in 2022 compared to 2019.
According to police sources, the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) has written to all Commissioners/Superintendents of Police that the Chief Minister’s Office had called for an urgent report on the Sub-Division-wise data of violent crimes (murder, culpable homicide not amounting to murder, attempt to commit murder, hurt/grievous hurt, riots and arson), property crimes (murder for gain, dacoity, robbery, burglary, theft and chain snatching) and crime against women and children (rape, dowry death, cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act, sexual harassment, cruelty by husband and relative, missing persons, kidnapping and abduction of women, rape and other cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act).
The Chief Minister’s Office had also called for particulars of land grabbing cases, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances cases, Lottery Act cases, counterfeiting and cheating cases, Exorbitant Interest Act (Usury) cases, National Security Act (NSA) detention, extortion, blackmailing and Arms Act cases, among others, the sources said.
Action plan
The crime data from 2018-2022 is already compiled and published by the SCRB and National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) at regular intervals. “The data compiled for the Chief Minister’s review meeting showed an increasing trend in murder cases in Tirupur, Tirunelveli, Chennai, Thoothukudi and Theni. There was a rise in dacoity and robbery cases in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruppur, Kancheepuram and Perambalur.
Pointing to grave crimes, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) even called for the explanation of the concerned police chiefs on their plan of action to curb the offences in their respective jurisdictions, a senior police official said.
The official, who did not want to be quoted, said the Chief Minister, who had been showing keen interest on eradicating the menace of drugs in Tamil Nadu, had also sought details on the quantity of ganja, heroin and other drugs seized across the State, and the number of accused persons arrested in those cases.
