BHUBANESWAR: The State has registered over 1.55 lakh criminal cases, including 3,327 rape, 1,394 murder, 552 dacoity, 2,826 robbery, 5,133 burglary and 13,024 theft cases last year, the White Paper released by the State Home department has revealed.
The White Paper for 2021 was tabled in the Assembly ahead of discussion on demand for expenditure of the Home department on Wednesday. The State has reported a 15.6 per cent rise in criminal cases and 11.5 per cent increase in rape cases over the previous year.
In 2020, the State had recorded 1.34 lakh criminal cases which included 2,984 rape, 1,470 murder, 514 dacoity, 2,166 robbery, 4,500 burglary and 10,412 theft cases. "The police had to open fire 23 times in 2021 in order to maintain law and order," the paper said.
Claiming a drastic fall in violence by Maoists, the State government said there were 21 incidents of exchange of fire between Maoist groups and security personnel in which two civilians and one security person (gram rakhi) were killed.
In the Left wing extremist (LWE) incidents, seven Maoists were neutralised while 36 rebels were arrested and 21 surrendered. Security personnel have seized 30 guns, 48 explosive items and a large quantity of firearms and other materials during raids on different maoist camps, the report said.
Of the 4,949 dowry torture cases reported, chargesheets have been filed in 3,668 cases and only 121 were found to be true. The State reported 298 dowry-related death cases and 129 dowry-related suicide cases last year.
While the White Paper is silent on the number of children that were trafficked from the State, it said that 258 boys and 1,506 girls were rescued in three separate special operations last year. They have been handed over to their families.The State police have registered 57 cases involving economic offence and chargesheet has been filed in one case.