Driving through a National Highway in Uttar Pradesh can possibly turn to be your worst nightmare as the state accounts for the highest number of highway robberies and thefts across India.
According to the 2014 data of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB), out of the 84,000 cases of dacoity and thefts on the highways across the country, Uttar Pradesh tops the list with 65,000 cases – almost 80 per cent of the total.
On the other hand, the State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB) 2015 data states that as many as 2,250 cases of robbery – the maximum across India – were reported across the highways and roads in Uttar Pradesh.
Also, of these 2,250 cases, maximum were committed in Western UP.
Gautam Buddha Nagar district witnessed a maximum 212 cases, followed with Meerut 178. Gorakhpur witnessed 133 cases, Saharanpur 84, Bareily 75, Allahabad 71, Agra 65, Etawah 69, Moradabad 61, Aligarh 59, Ghaziabad 58, Bulandshahar 54 and Muzaffarnagar 48 cases.
“The state police has planned to start highway patrol on the busy highways for safety of the commuters on the road. The main aim is to ensure prompt rescue and relief of the people after accidents,” Inspector general (law and order) Hari Ram Sharma was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
Nehal Singh, an office bearer of UP Truck Operators Federation, said that the state highways are unsafe for truck drivers as well as other commercial vehicles. Several cases of loot and murder truck drivers have been reported on UP-Bihar border in Chandauli as well as Kushinagar districts.
On July 29, a family, which was on its way from Noida to Shahjahanpur, was waylaid by bandits on the Delhi-Kanpur National Highway after their car was hit by a blunt object. The woman and her 13-year-old daughter were allegedly dragged from their car and gangraped for three hours. They were also looted of their cash, jewellery and mobile phones.
On April 12, National Investigation Agency (NIA) officer Tanzil Ahmed and his wife were shot dead on Seohara-Bijnore highway.
Goa has turned out to be the best state in terms of threat of highway robberies recording merely nine robberies in three years. The figure for thefts too is barely in double digits.
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