Criminals have no place in Haryana; rule of law will prevail: Haryana CM

Chandigarh (Haryana) [India], September 16 (HBTV): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini reaffirmed that the state government is pursuing a zero-tolerance policy towards crime, emphasising that the rule of law will prevail over the influence of criminals.

He recalled that after taking office, he had issued a clear warning to criminals, stating that they must either mend their ways or the government would compel them to do so. ‘No one, regardless of social standing or political influence, will be spared if they break the law. In Haryana, it is the rule of law that will prevail, not the status of criminals,’ he said in the Assembly while responding to an adjournment motion on law and order.

The Chief Minister stated that the continuous decline in major crimes in the state is a direct result of his firm stance on law enforcement. Unlike the situation prior to 2014, he said, citizens now face no difficulty in registering FIRs and police personnel act without hesitation against criminals. Strict measures, he added, have strengthened public trust in the Haryana Police.

Criticising the opposition for displaying Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao placards, CM Saini alleged that incidents of rape had tripled during the Congress regime between 2004 and 2014, rising from 386 cases in 2004 to 1,174 in 2014. Calling the previous government insensitive, he noted that during its ten-year tenure, only one women’s police station was opened in Khanpur Kalan.

He said the present government is committed to ensuring women’s safety. Thirty-three all-women police stations have been set up across Haryana, and the women’s helpline number 1091 has been integrated with Dial-112 for faster assistance. In 2018, the Durga Shakti mobile app was launched to provide real-time security alerts, while the Durga Shakti Rapid Action Force has been deployed at key locations, with 46 of its vehicles integrated into the Dial-112 network. A dedicated women’s police unit, the Durga Battalion, has also been established in Sunaria, Rohtak, with 540 women police personnel currently serving.

Referring to a disturbing case during the Congress regime, CM Saini recalled that on April 10, 2008, five policemen allegedly raped a woman inside the Rohtak police station premises. He said the victim spent 40 days seeking justice but received no support from the authorities, and ultimately died by suicide on June 9, 2008. The case was later handed to the CBI, and in 2013, a CBI court convicted two policemen.

In contrast, he highlighted a case from Yamunanagar in which a minor was raped and murdered on September 20, 2024. The accused was arrested within 24 hours, and in just eight months, on May 15, 2025, the court sentenced him to death. He credited the outcome to new criminal legislation enacted under the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister.

He noted that under the present government, culprits have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment or even the death penalty within just seven to eight months of trial. This, he said, demonstrates that the double-engine government has cracked down effectively on criminals.

Presenting figures, the Chief Minister said that in 2014, 1,106 murders were registered across Haryana, compared to 965 in 2024 — a 12 per cent reduction. He added that during the Congress tenure, an average of four murders occurred daily.

Since January 1, 2024, the Haryana Police has killed 13 notorious criminals and injured 157 in 110 encounters, he informed. Around 75 per cent of cybercrimes, he said, originate from outside the state. Due to strict enforcement, many gangsters have fled abroad. Since July 13, 2024, five notorious gangsters have been arrested overseas, and nine in total over the past five years.

The Chief Minister further expressed concern over sections of social media that glorify criminals and gangsters, creating a misleading image of them among youth. He urged the media not to glorify such individuals in any form, including by publishing their names or photographs, as it undermines the efforts of law enforcement and the moral fabric of society.

(ANI)