Demonetisation Triggers Happiness as Crime Rate Falls

MUMBAI: Opposition parties may have criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision on demonetisation, but security agencies are happy as the crime rate has gone down. Mumbai witnessed a 20-25% fall in crime in the last three months, compared to figures in 2015-16 in that same period. 

Police had analysed crime post-demonetisation, taking into account figures from November 8, 2016, till January 31, 2017, and compared it with figures of November 2015-January 31, 2016. While there were 50 murder cases registered between that period in 2015-16, only 35 were registered in 2016-17; that period in 2015-16 witnessed 47 attempts to murder, compared to 39 in 2016-17. Robberies also reduced from 195 to 160, and chain-snatching cases fell drastically from 213 to 53. 

Several youths got unemployed due to demonetisation and there was a "financial crisis" but chain-snatching cases were fewer, probably due to the greater presence of policemen on roads and awareness, officials said. Crime branch officials said the impact was also felt on the underworld. The anti-extortion cell of the city police said calls fell from 69 to 28. "Out of the 28 extortion-related calls, except for five to six, all were from petty criminals or foot soldiers using their mentors' names to threaten businessmen," said a crime branch official.

Officials added that in December 2016, there were almost zero extortion calls as criminals were confused what to demand, and whether to accept old denomination notes of Rs500 and Rs1,000 which were banned. It was only after January that there were few calls. The same was the case with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). There were only 126 cases of corruption between January-February this year, almost 50% less compared to January-February 2016, when 203 offences were registered.

Police said pickpocketing cases too fell from 54 to 19 in that period in 2016-17. An officer said it was because there was a cash shortage and increase in cashless transactions.

The only offence that demonetisation did not impact was rape: 151 offences were registered in 2016-17 and 147 in 2015-16 in that period, officials said.

<< Back to Cityfocus News