Crime has decreased during lockdown: Home Ministry

Kathmandu - Narayan Dhungana Number of criminal cases has decreased during the lockdown period compared to the same period last year. Nepal Police said criminal incidents have decreased nearly by 60 per cent due to the lockdown. The crime data provided by police shows a decrease in the number of suicide cases compared to the previous years.

Police, however, said some murder, incidents of domestic violence and sexual assault have taken place during the lockdown period. Grave crimes have occurred in Soti of Rukum and at a cow farm in Rupandehi. The government has pledged to take legal action against the culprits of these crimes by carrying out thorough investigation into these incidents.

Home Ministry's information officer Umakanta Adhikari said comparatively incidents of crime have significantly decreased than in the past and the suicide cases have also reduced. According to him, an analysis of the suicide data shows suicide cases have decreased by around 14 per cent.

The data provided by the Ministry shows that 221 incidents of theft and burglary have taken place in the last three months (Chait, Baisakh and Jeth) of the current fiscal year. Seven hundred and eleven incidents of theft and burglary were reported in the corresponding period last fiscal year. Similarly, the number of organised and financial crimes has decreased in the last three months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period in the last fiscal.

One thousand 319 incidents of this type of crime were reported in the last three months of the last fiscal year whereas only 503 incidents of this type of crime have been reported in the last three months of the current fiscal year. The crime against women and children has also decreased during the lockdown period.

One thousand 218 incidents of this type of crime had been reported in the last three months (Chait, Baisakh and Jeth) of the last fiscal year whereas only 600 such incidents have been reported in the corresponding period this fiscal year. The data shows 3,532 incidents of social crime were reported in the last three months of the previous fiscal year whereas 923 such incidents have been reported in the corresponding period of the current fiscal year.

Similarly, the crime related to traffic rule violation has decreased. Seven hundred and five incidents of this type of crime was recorded in the last three months of the previous fiscal year whereas only 207 incidents of this type of crime have been recorded in the corresponding period this fiscal year. The data includes incidents that were reported as of May 28.

Decrease in suicide Officials of the Home Ministry and security officers held a review meeting on Wednesday after reports came in the media citing suicide cases have increased. This meeting concluded that although some sporadic cases of incidents of grave crime took place during the lockdown period, overall the crime has decreased.

It decided that the suicide cases have also decreased than in the past. As per the data made available, incidents of suicide has decreased by 328 in the last three months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period in the last fiscal year.