Overall graph of various types of crime committed in Jammu district this year up to September shows that it is on the rise in comparison to the graph for the same period during last year. Drug peddling and car lifting are among the leading crimes recorded by law enforcing agencies. Around 71 cases of NDPS Act are registered against 37 registered until September 31, 2014, which shows that the smuggling of psychotropic substances has increased more than twice in the Jammu district in the nine months period of 2015.
However, the conviction ratio in cases pertaining to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act is very less, primarily owing to lack of evidence and failure of follow-up procedure by investigating agencies.
Apart from these two major reasons, the other factors leading to less rate of conviction are hostile witnesses, poor follow-up of recording statements.
Jammu has emerged as an important city of Northern India. It is because of the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi, visited by more than ten million pilgrims annually. A large number of railways originating from different cities of the country converge on their last destination at Katra. Katra town is the base camp for pilgrims to trek on to the heights of Mata Vaishno Devi. A place where such a large number of pilgrims come to pay obeisance, is quite naturally, exposed to the gaze of the miscreants, burglars, criminals and people of shady character. The sad thing is that narcotic trade has become widespread in Jammu District because of increasing cultivation of narcotic plants and herbs in Kashmir. Now with the improvement of road and rail connectivity, people of different motivations, including some whose antecedents are shady and, mobility has increased manifold. These criminals quickly move out of Jammu to avoid arrest. In some cases, the police could not apprehend the culprits despite passage of many years. Their involvement in narcotic trade and other crimes is fully established. The law enforcing organization, therefore, has to play very conspicuous and positive role in dealing with criminal cases and the culprits. Better cohesion among different police detachments is needed. Moreover, the police have to make further input in providing dependable evidence and speeding up the legal process of a case of crime.
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