Tekendra Deuba

Dipayal, July 20:

The number of suicides has been escalating in the Far-western region, the Far-West Regional Police Office (F-WRPO), Dipayal, has said, adding that they had been able to curb other crimes.

People are driven to commit suicides mainly due, among other factors, to family conflicts, frustration, poverty, unemployment, family feuds, the District Police Office, Doti, has said.

According to Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, the DIG of the F-WRPO, at least 197 persons committed suicide during the fiscal year 2004/005. A majority of those who committed suicides included youngsters, Shrestha said.

Stating that young boys and girls were committing suicide because they were forced by their families to get married at a young age, police say some educated and unemployed people had committed suicide out of frustration. Compared to other districts, the number of suicides was found to be the highest in the district of Kailali. Cases of drugs-abuse, theft, smuggling, crime against women and children and cheating were also reported in the region.

Between July 16, 2004 and July 14, 2005, 18 criminal cases were recorded in the district of Doti, 88 cases in Kailali and five cases were recorded in the district of Bajura. Likewise, 17 criminal cases were recorded in Bajhang, 12 cases in Achham and six cases were reported in the district of Dadeldhura.

In the entire region, 547 criminal cases were reported in the fiscal year 2002/003, 480 in the fiscal year 2003/004 and 462 cases were recorded in the fiscal year 2004/2005.