In what appears to a major reason for an increase in street crime in Karachi, city police chief Khadim Hussain Rind has revealed that during the current year, the police have apprehended over 6,000 suspected street criminals, but only 79 have been sentenced.
In a video statement released on Thursday, he said criminals were receiving lenient sentences from courts, leading to an increase in street crime. He stated that this year, a total of 79 street criminals had been sentenced by courts.
Rind stated that the maximum sentence for street crime is seven years, which is not proportional to the economic damage caused by criminals. He expressed regret that in three cases, only one-year sentences were imposed, and 50 per cent of the cases resulted in sentences of three months or less, including some as short as one month.
If criminals were given the full seven-year sentence, they would think twice before committing another crime, he said, adding instances where police apprehended a criminal 30 times and sent them to jail, they easily obtained bail and returned. He highlighted that the bail system is such that criminals can easily secure release.
He expressed concern that when criminals receive lenient sentences from the courts, street crime continues to rise. During the past year, 1,119 dacoits were arrested in an injured condition after encounters, and around 6,000 robbers were apprehended.
Fire at warehouse
A fire erupted at a cart in the Jinnah Square area of Malir City on Thursday.
According to a spokesperson of the Fire Brigade Department, two fire tenders were sent to the scene to extinguish the blaze. The fire originated from a gas cylinder explosion on a cart selling peanuts, resulting in damage to a nearby warehouse. The fire was successfully brought under control. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported.
