Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
The shocking failure is particularly striking in the backdrop of clear directives from CM Fadnavis and DGP Dayal who have categorically asked top police brass to improve conviction rate
By Dheeraj Fartode
NAGPUR Police which is getting flak from all corners for spurt in street crimes and failure to control emboldened criminals, also suffered another ignominy with pathetic conviction rate. This has brutally exposed their tall claim of keeping crime and criminals under control. Thanks to their shoddy investigation, faulty chargesheets and backtracking of witnesses, the city cops have been able to punish on an average only 15 out of 100 criminals. This is against the state trend, which has witnessed rise in conviction keeping with priority set-up by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to improve conviction rate.
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| Conviction rate of Nagpur City Police |
As per the police data available with ‘The Hitavada’, the Nagpur Police have recorded 15% conviction rate in 2014 which is worse than 2013 when it was 22%. The 7% drop in conviction rate reflects how the senior police officers have investigated cases, failing to take it to logical conclusion and ensure punishment to the guilty.
Out of the total 2,309 cases decided in the year 2014, courts have acquitted accused in as many as 1,953 cases.
Barring criminal breach of trust and molestation cases, conviction rate has dropped in every other category of criminal cases. In murder cases, total 49 cases were decided in the court and 13 were convicted with 27% conviction rate. Conviction rate in murder cases in 2013 and 2012 was 32% and 25%, respectively.
This year courts decided 29 rape cases and convicted merely 4 with 14% conviction rate. It was 22% in 2013.
When it comes to robbery cases, the cops have managed a meager 7% conviction rate as courts convicted merely 8 out of 121 cases.
A major drop in conviction rate has been reported in other IPC cases dealing with other types of crimes related to person and property. The police have recorded 24% conviction rate in 2014 which is a drop of 15% as compared to 39% of 2013.
Better conviction rate requires better sensitisation of prosecutors, IOs, improving quality of evidence, adoption of scientific investigation process, effective presentation of cases from registration of offence stage itself and presenting gathered evidence in best possible manner. The drop in conviction rate exposes the lack of co-ordination between city police and prosecutors.
0% conviction in dacoity, riots etc
City Police’s performance has reached nadir in the cases of dacoity, preparation of dacoity, riots, arson, sexual harassment, dowry death cases. All accused were released by courts due to lack of substantial evidence.
The cops could not ensure conviction in even single case in 2014. Courts decided four dacoity and seven preparation of dacoity cases, 79 riots, four arson, 6 sexual harassment, three dowry deaths and acquitted accused in all.
Most shocking is conviction rate in riot cases. Total 79 cases were decided in the court in 2014 and cops failed to ensure punishment for any one charged by them for rioting.
Police had maintained 24% and 23% conviction rate in riots cases in year 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Below 10% in attempt to murder, robberies
Conviction rate is below 10% in attempt to murder, robberies, burglaries, total thefts, auto thefts, criminal breach of trust, hurts, 498 (A) and accident cases.
Out of 30 attempt to murder cases, the cops have put merely 3 persons behind the bars with 10% conviction rate. It was 12% in 2013 and 29% in 2012.
Police have also reported a mere 7% conviction rate in robbery cases in which 121 cases were decided and only 8 were convicted.
Total 543 cases of robbery, burglary, total thefts, auto thefts, other thefts were decided in the courts. Police got only 37 accused to be punished with a conviction rate of 7.33% in year 2014. It was 22% in 2013.
State achieves 20% conviction rate with jump of 8%: DGP Dayal
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| DGP Sanjeev Dayal |
EVEN as the city cops failed miserably in ensuring punishment to accused the conviction rate of Maharashtra registered a rise of 8 % in 2014.
“The state has achieved conviction rate of 20% in 2014 with 8% rise as compared to figure of 2013. Conviction rate of state was 43% in month of December,” Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal told ‘The Hitavada’.
DGP Dayal took keen interest in improving State’s conviction rate. Home Department and Dayal maintained a positive pressure on cops throughout the State, and issued guidelines from time-to-time. This puts the city cops in a poor light when it comes to conviction rate.
Cops need encouragement
A senior police officer said, government should enact new policy of rewards to achieve good conviction rate. Every police officer should be awarded for conviction in each case and it should be incorporated in his service book. This will encourage cops to give his or her best performance. Meanwhile, if Public Prosecutor is also rewarded for every conviction secured, then it will also make impact on conviction rate.
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