Over one lakh incidents of seven major crimes reported in

Over one lakh incidents of seven major crimes, including rape, kidnapping and dowry, took place across Assam from May 2016 till January 25 this year, the state Assembly was informed.

The BJP-led Sarbananda Sonowal government came to power in Assam in May, 2016.

Replying to a query by AGP MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said a total of 1,02,004 cases of theft, dacoity, rape, kidnapping, witch hunting, dowry and road accident happened from May 2016 to January 25 this year.

Out of this, 4,988 cases of rape, 17,331 kidnapping and 20,088 dowry incidents were reported from various parts of the state, the minister said.

Replying on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who also holds charge of the Home department, Patowary said during the last two years and eight months, 38,142 theft, 425 dacoity, 19 witch hunting and 21,011 road accidents also took place.

He said that 14,694 incidents of these seven crimes were reported from the state capital since 2016.

In the same period, 36 innocent civilians and 61 extremists of different groups were killed in various incidents, he added.

In a separate query by Congress legislator Abdur Rashid Mandal, Patowary said there are 343 police stations and 289 police outposts across the state.

At these police stations and outposts, a total of 3,39,858 cases were registered till December 31, 2018 and investigation for 1,47,955 cases are going on, the minister said.