Rape, attempted murder cases up

KATHMANDU, July 17

The overall crime rate fell by 17.87 per cent in the fiscal year 2014-15 in Kathmandu, but incidents of rape, attempted murder and banking offence saw an upward trend, according to data maintained by Metropolitan Police Range, Teku, depending on the reported cases.

As many 4,601 incidents of crime were reported in the fiscal year 2014-15 compared to 5,602 in 2013-14 and 3,575 in 2012-13. However, more cases of rape, attempted murder and banking offence were reported last fiscal compared to 2013-14.

According to MPR statistics, 93 cases of rape, 94 cases of attempted murder and 18 cases of banking offence were reported in the last fiscal compare to 84 rape cases, 85 attempted murder cases and 10 banking offence cases in 2013-14. While there was 10 per cent rise in cases of rape and attempted murder, 80 per cent more cases of banking office were reported to police in the last fiscal compared to the previous fiscal. As many as 55 rape cases were reported in 2012-13.

The statistics cover the last 12 months till mid-July.

Prompt investigation and increasing public trust in police have made rape victims to come forward with complaints against the guilty, said SSP Uttam Kumar Karkee MPR in-charge, indicating that that could be the reason why more rape cases were recorded.

Reported cases of murder, arms and ammunition, fraud, kidnapping and hostage-taking, drugs and arms smuggling, human trafficking, robbery and public crimes, however, significantly dropped in the last fiscal. SSP Karkee said that the law enforcement agency was ‘successful in controlling crime in the past 12 months to a large extent’. “The incidents of crime have dropped 4,601 in 2014-15 from 5,601 in 2013-14,” he said.

According to the statistics, police arrested 5,882 suspects in connection with various crimes and produced them before Kathmandu District Court and District Administration Office. Cases were filed against 4,601 persons in 2014-15. SSP Karkee said 386 suspects were still at large and police are after them. Monetary greed and temptation is the single largest reason for the crimes in cities, he informed. “Public-police partnership, pro-active policing, increased public awareness and evidence-based crime investigation have helped us control crimes,” SSP Karkee said.