KATHMANDU, Nov 14: Data maintained by Nepal Police shows that theft cases across the country doubled during Tihar this year, compared to those during the festival last year.

Records maintained by the police show that the total number of theft cases across the country during Tihar increased from 10 in 2017 to 21 in 2018. According to police officials, the number of theft cases in the Kathmandu Valley during the festival, however, decreased this year.

Police said they register any incident as a theft case in their records only if the stolen goods or the thieves are found. Otherwise, such incidents are recorded only as complaints. Hence, police officials claimed that the sharp rise in theft cases is the result of increased police effectiveness in solving theft cases. According to spokesperson for Nepal Police, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Uttam Raj Subedi, another reason for the increase is the inclusion of vehicle theft cases under theft cases this year which was not the case in the previous year. Vehicle theft cases too increased from one in the previous Tihar to three during this Tihar.

“Theft cases are registered only after either the stolen goods or the culprits are found,” he said, “Hence, the increase in those types of cases should be taken as a result of the stride in police vigilance and effectiveness in solving crimes.”

Similarly, the data shows that deaths due to driver's fault during Tihar too took a leap of 57 percent from 14 cases in 2017 to 22 cases in 2018. Cases of gambling increased by 22 percent from 22 in 2017 to 27 in 2018 and the cases of drug abuse increased by 21 percent from 24 in 2017 to 29 in 2018.

The data also shows that suicide cases during Tihar, however, have decreased by about 40 percent from the previous year. A total of 36 suicide cases were registered during the previous Tihar while 22 cases were registered during this Tihar. More than 50 percent (12) of the suicides were committed by hanging.

SSP Subedi claimed that the major reason behind the decrease in suicides is the increase in the number of awareness programs against suicides conducted by Nepal Police and various other organizations. He added that it is surprising to see suicides take place during the festive season since people get proper attention from their families at family gatherings during festivals.

The total number of crimes during Tihar too saw a decrease of five percent this year. There were a total of 263 crimes registered during Tihar in 2017 which decreased to 251 in 2018. The police account this decrease to increased police vigilance.

 
• theft
 
• doubles
 
• suicide
 
• downs