Author: PTI
Publication: The Free Press Journal
Date: August 6, 2003
Observing that rule of law appeared
to have collapsed in Bihar, the Patna High Court on Tuesday came down heavily
on the State Government, saying its crime figures were "doctored" and data
a mere "eyewash", reports PTI.
The elected representatives and
government servants declared absconders by courts move freely and police
stations do not register complaints on one pretext or the other, a Division
Bench said while hearing a PIL by a traders body.
Such absconders should be suspended
immediately till their appearance in the court, Chief Justice Ravi S Dhavan
and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh said.
They described as highly unsatisfactory
the government's argument in the affidavit filed in the court on behalf
of the state police chief that crimes like kidnapping, murder and extortion
have only marginally 9increased and that the crime situation was much better
than in many other states.
"Don't quote doctored statistics
to show lower crime figures but mention the actual ground reality. Your
data are just an eyewash:"
The affidavit said only ni8ne cases
of kidnapping were reported in the state capital in 2001-2003 and six in
the current year. Other crimes had registered a marginal increase since
1990, it said.
"Who will believe you? The police
does not register complaints in the police stations. The officials deliberately
record a lower crime figure to escape embarrassment," the judges said,
adding the rule of law appears to have been collapsed.
The court was hearing a public Interest
Litigation filed by the Bihar Vyavsayik Sangharsh Morcha, a traders' body.