MUMBAI, May 12: As the Sena-BJP Government goes on claiming that the law and order situation was well under control in Shivshahi, according to an official report, ``there is an alarming increase in all heads of crime in the month of March vis-a-vis the previous month''.

A comparative report on crime situation during the month of February and March was submitted to the Government recently by the State Crime Branch, Pune, states that the number of murders increased by 26 per cent and increase in attempt to murders was up by 56 per cent. In case of dacoities the figure went up by 46 per cent, riots by 74 per cent, rapes by 12 per cent and cases of prohibition by 35 per cent. However, there was a decrease in the number of gambling cases by 10 per cent.

A quick look at the report revealed that Beed, the home town of Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde witnessed highest increase in the number of crimes.

Crime rate increased by 48 per cent in the Beed district in Marathadwa, followed by Nashik (47.72 per cent), Sangli (44.67 per cent), Buldhana (42.97 per cent), Akola (41.87 per cent), Latur and Parbhani (39 per cent each) and lowest increase was reported in Kolhapur district (22.12 per cent).Property crimes - dacoity, robbery, house breakings and thefts increased by 10 per cent. Against 4,914 cases in February, the State registered 5,403 cases in March, while the increase of offences against person (murder, attempted murder, rapes, riots and hurts) increased by 56.04 per cent. A record number of 505 offences of riots were registered in March against 290 in February.

A total of 283 cases of murders were registered in March compared to 224 in February. In terms of percentage, the increase was maximum in Ratnagiri - 400 per cent.

This was followed by Beed, Osmanabad, Kolhapur and Nagpur (200 per cent), Nasik (166 per cent), Nanded and Gadchiroli (150 per cent), Thane (41 per cent), Sangli and Satara (40 per cent), Buldhana and Jalna (33 per cent).Out of 283 murders, nine were for gain and one was a political murder, the report states. Even in cases of attempted murders, the increase was by 56 per cent compared to the previous month, while there was an increase of 11 per cent in rape cases. Out of the 103 cases of rape, one was by stranger and seven were gang rapes.

Dhule and Thane registered an increase of 400 per cent in cases of dacoities, followed by Beed (300 per cent), Nanded, Kolhapur, Napgur, Ahmadnagar, Jalgaon and New Mumbai (200 per cent).

Since there were Zilla Parishad elections during February and March, a record number of 505 riot cases were registered in March against 290 in February. The increase in the number of riot cases in Dhule was alarming, by 500 per cent, followed by Pune (400 per cent), Ahmadnagar (342 per cent), Latur (320 per cent), while lowest increase was reported in Solapur city (25 per cent).

Out of these 505 cases of riots, two were communal, one was industrial, four were agrarian, two student related and 61 were political in nature.

However, gambling cases were reduced by 10 per cent. Against 1,160 cases registered in February, 1,043 cases were registered in March, the report states.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.