Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Occurrence of minor crimes in Bhopal emerged was a matter of grave concern, the statistics of 2022 indicate. The year 2022 witnessed a 14.17 per cent increase in minor criminal acts in the city.
A total of 1,52,628 minor criminal cases came to fore in 2022. Against this, the numbers froze at 1,33,676 in 2021. Of all the 1.52 lakh cases, a majority of offences were committed under Motor Vehicle Act, which include driving vehicles without licence, drunk driving. The city logged 1,43,852 complaints under the Motor Vehicle Act in 2022. Against this, 1,17,864 plaints were registered in 2021.
The offences under Excise Act were second highest in the city. Over 4,000 cases pertaining to trade of illicit liquor were registered in 2022.
Senior police officials attributed it to unemployment. Following Covid pandemic, people lost jobs while unemployed failed to find any. As a result, they resorted to easy but illicit ways of making money.
Positive sign
Additional Commissioner of Police Sachin Atulkar said that high number of traffic offences under Motor Vehicle Act in 2022 was a positive sign that traffic police personnel discharged their duties and took action against offenders.
