Himachal Pradesh reported about 19,500 crime instances final 12 months however solely a single first info report (FIR) was registered in Dodra-Kwar in Shimla district. Located in Chanshal Valley, 215km from the state capital, this distant area, comprising 9 villages, has seen solely seven FIRs being registered since Independence. The purpose: The religion of villagers in native deities, who they belief in resolving their disputes as an alternative of approaching the police.

Rohru sub divisional police officer Chaman Lal says that the seven instances reported from Dodra-Kwar up to now 75 years are of petty quarrels. The final FIR was registered in May 2021 beneath Section 279 (rash and negligent driving), 337 (inflicting damage by rash and negligent driving), 192 (punishment for driving an unregistered automobile or RC of which has been suspended), and 196 (driving an uninsured automobile) of the Indian Penal Code.

“The people of Dodra-Kwar live in harmony. They have unflinching faith in their deities, who act as mediator or judge. There are few disputes and they are resolved them by sitting across the table. People know going to the police or the court is a waste of time and money,” says Mahender Basu, a resident of Kwar village.

Remote and isolated

The nearest civil court at Chirgaon is 75km away. Dodra-Kwar falls under the jurisdiction of the Chirgaon police station. A police post was set up at Kwar village in 2016 with three police personnel. The area remains cut off from the rest of the state for six months with the first spell of snow usually in November. In summer, the region bordering the tribal Kinnaur district and Uttarakhand is accessible via a mountainous road that meanders through the 4,520m Chanshal Pass.

Himachal Pradesh director general of police Sanjay Kundu says, “The low registration of cases reflects how people can live in harmony. Being remote and isolated, Dodra Kwar has single-digit registration of crime. But once Chanshal develops as a ski resort, the situation may change.”

Safer in tribal areas

Unlike Dodra-Kwar, different tribal areas of the state have a substantial fee of crime. Even Lahaul-Spiti sees a median of six FIRs registered each month. In Kaza, the district’s headquarters, solely 24 FIRs have been registered in 2022. Similarly, 27 have been registered at Kheri in Chamba district, which shares its boundary with Jammu. Twenty-four FIRS have been registered in distant Pangi in Chamba district.

In Kinnaur, although the crime graph is low, a median of three FIRs are registered in a month, whereas Sangla valley noticed 54 FIRs registered final 12 months.

McLeodganj, the Buddhist studying middle and abode of Tibetan religious chief the Dalai Lama since 1959, registered solely 45 FIRs in 2022, whereas the police publish within the distant Kupvi tehsil of Chopal in Shimla district registered 55 FIRs.

Kullu, Una susceptible

Kullu Sadar police station accounted for the utmost variety of 463 FIRs final 12 months adopted by Una Sadar with 428 instances.

“Being tourist hubs, Kullu and Manali police stations see more cases. We have recommended to the state government to establish a police station near the South Portal of Atal Tunnel at Rohtang as it has become a round-the-year tourist favorite destination,” says the DGP.

Police information present that of the 19,500 FIRs registered within the state yearly, 14,000 are beneath the Indian Penal Code and 5,500 beneath native and particular legal guidelines.

Rise in crime

The state has 2,973 prisoners of whom 933 are convicted and a pair of,040 beneath trial.

A complete of 18,833 crime instances have been registered in 2021, whereas 19,053 instances have been recorded in 2022. Most instances have been of homicide or try to homicide following disputes over land and private enmity. “In general, sudden provocation after an altercation was the main reason for most of the murders and attempt to murder cases,” Kundu mentioned.

An evaluation of the explanations for registered instances confirmed no organized gang is working within the state.