After reading this essay you will learn about:- 1. Subject-Matter of Crime 2. Meaning and Defintion of Crime 3. Characteristics of Crime 4. Classification of Crime 5. Violent Crimes 6. Trend Analysis of Various Violent IPC Crimes 7. Classification of Criminals 8. Corruption 9. Steps taken to Prevent Corruption in India 10. Prevention, Detection and Control of Crime.
List of Essays on Crime in India
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Subject-Matter of Crime
- Essay on the Meaning and Defintion of Crime
- Essay on the Characteristics of Crime
- Essay on the Classification of Crime
- Essay on Violent Crimes
- Essay on the Trend Analysis of Various Violent IPC Crimes
- Essay on the Classification of Criminals
- Essay on Corruption
- Essay on the Steps taken to Prevent Corruption in India
- Essay on the Prevention, Detection and Control of Crime
1. Essay on the Subject-Matter of Crime:
Crime is a very old concept and it is transmitted to the society from generation to generation. Crime produces law and order situation. It is a social evil. It is generated by the society and the society also suffers a lot because of crime committed by its members. The rising wave of crime to-day has caused alarm any the public.
Nobody is safe to-day. The world is full of criminals and criminal activities are on the rise through out the world to-day. With the development in science and technology criminals are using scientific techniques while committing the crime and police has been baffled by the techniques used.
The peace and happiness of the society is disturbed because of constant and continuous operation of criminals. When criminals are not punished they are encouraged to do more crime. Particularly in this age of wide scale unemployment educated and uneducated youths commit crime for easy money.
Many crimes are committed for money, property wealth and disputes within the family for distribution of property. A son kills his father, a brother assaults his brother or a brother in law murders his sister in law and her minor children.
In every society there are some accepted patterns of behaviour approved by the society and culture. In order to lead a harmonious life following the approved patterns of behaviour certain rules, laws and regulations are framed.
Any body who violates these rules is said to commit a crime. In India now crimes are so rampant that in one hour about 187 cognizable crimes under IPC and 443 crimes under the local and special laws are committed.
According to the reports by crimes of India (1994) in one day, the police nabs 832 thefts, 258 riots, 66 robberies and 333 burglaries and 2991 other criminal offences.
Crimes of India further reports that between 1953 and 1983 the crimes in India had rose from 6.09 lakh to 13.49 lakh i.e., in 30 years a rise of 116 percent or 2.2 times, while between 1984 and 1994 crime increased from 13.59 lakh to 16.35 lakh i.e., the crime increased by 25 percent.
2. Essay on the Meaning and Definition of Crime:
Crime is an anti social and illegal behaviour to which penalties are attached. This anti social behaviour is rejected by the by the society and punished by law. Those actions which are sinful but no punishments are attached to them they are not criminal acts like anti social activities.
Through no anti social activity is punished by law the society and public condemns it. But in certain criminal tribes stealing is not looked upon as a crime. Children are praised if they steal property from others. They are taught the art of crime and how to become careful while committing the crime.
Definition of Crime:
The concept of crime has been defined from the social and legal stand point. What is a criminal behaviour depends upon the legal codes of a particular society.
1. Non Legal or Social Definitions of Crime:
Morwer (1959) has defined crime as an antisocial act. Thorstein Sellin (1970) has described crime as violation of conduct norms of the normative group.
According to Garofalo, even the actions contradictary to the prevalent conceptions of pity and truth should be considered criminal. Elliot and Merrill view that a crime implies a disturbance in a social relationship and a social definition as to what such a disturbance is.
According to Coldwell (1956) “Those acts on failures to act that are considered to be so detrimental to the well being of a society as judged by its prevailing standards, that action regarding them cannot be entrusted to private initiative or to haphazard methods but must be taken by an organised society in accordance with tested procedures are called crime.”
Clinard (1957) however holds that all deviations from the norm are not crimes.
Deviations:
(i) Tolerated deviations.
(ii) deviation which is mildly disapproved and
(iii) deviation which is strongly disapproved.
Clinard perceives the third type of deviation as crime. Those persons who initially deviate from the social traditions and customs to some extent are not criminals. Society has good as well as bad traditions and customs. Anybody going against the bad customs and superstitions is not a criminal.
In that way Raja Ram-Mohan Ray, Mahatma Gandhi is not criminals. Only those deviations that harm the society arc strongly disapproved and hence labeled as criminal acts.
Criminologists having a sociological and psychological bias do not object to the legal definition of crime in criminology. They only emphasize to situations in which people who engage in criminal behaviour are either not caught or are acquitted by courts due to insufficient evidence or legal loopholes or pressures.
According to Darow “Crime is an act forbidden by the law of the land and for which penalty is prescribed.” This is a social definition of crime.
Legal Definitions of Crime:
The legal definitions of crime are more objective. The official statistics on crime are based on the legal definitions. All the empirical studies on criminals are done according to the crime defined by law.
Hall Jerome (1947) has defined crime as legally forbidden and intentional action, which has a harmful impact on social interests, which has a criminal intent and which has legally prescribed punishment for it.
This definition suggests that no action should be considered as crime unless it has the following characteristics:
(a) Crime is legally forbidden
(b) it is not intentional
(c) it is harmful to the victim and the society
(d) it has criminal intent and
(e) some penalty is prescribed for it.
If it is proved that somebody has killed someone accidentally without any intention or previous plan then such an action cannot be called a crime.
Recently a criminal case was filed in the Supreme Court against a doctor of Delhi by the relations of a patient who died when a plastic surgery of the nose of the patient was in progress. However the hon’ble Supreme Court dismissed the case by observing that unless it is proved that the doctor has intentionally killed the patient it cannot be called a criminal offence. Analyzing the merit of the case it can be said that normally a doctor does not intentionally kill his patient. In the instant case the Hon’ble Court observed that the doctor can be penalized if his negligence is proved.
Thus if the act is proved to be self defence, (like a woman while going to be raped takes a kitchen knife and kills the victimizer) or committed during insanity or is accidental it will not be deemed as a crime even though it causes harm or injury to others. But if someone says that he has committed the crime without being aware of the law and pleads ignorance, that is normally no defence.
According to Barnes and Teeters “The term crime technically means a form of anti social behaviour that has violated public sentiment, to such an extent as to be forbidden by statute.” This definition only includes those anti social activities which are prohibited by law.
Considering the various aspects of legal and social definitions of crime Reid (1975) has viewed the legal definition may be used for compiling statistics on crime and assigning the label criminal, but the studies conducted to find out the causes of crime should include criminals who admit their crime but are not convicted by the court.
A lots controversy on the definition of crime has been observed. The question is crime seen as the violation of the legal code or a behaviour that offends the social code of a particular community has been a matter of debate by the sociologists, criminologists and psychologists since long.
Other aspects of crime on which various investigations are needed to get a clear-cut answer such as:
“Is crime viewed as a limited phenomenon, committed by a small number of people or an extensive phenomenon engaged by a large proportion of the population?
How the causes of crimes are explained?
Are the causes of crime basically lie within the individual or is crime seen as a product of the society, where the individual leaves?
Is it desirable to punish the offenders’ or is it desirable to treat the criminals?
3. Essay on the Characteristics of Crime:
According to Tappan (1960) “Crime is an intentional act or omission in violation of criminal law committed without defence of justification.” In this definition Tapan has emphasized five characteristics of crime.
(1) A crime should be an act or omission of an act. In other words, a person cannot be punished for his criminal thoughts. Only when his thought is expressed in criminal action, it will be considered as a crime.
(2) The act must be voluntary and the person (criminal) has control over his actions. In other words, any act committed when the person is insane and has no control over his action cannot be a crime.
(3) The act should be intentional with a motive and intention may be general or specific, i.e. any crime committed without a specific intention, all of a sudden, out of rage or any sudden situational factor is not a crime.
(4) The act should be a violation of criminal law which is clearly different from non criminal law or civil and administrative law. This is essential because the law and order authority can thereby take action against the accused.
(5) The act should be committed without defence or justification.
Hence, any action which is committed for self defence or self protection and during insane or abnormal condition cannot be considered as a crime, even if it causes harm or injury to a person. For instance if it is proved that a rape victim kills a man to protect her prestige, it is not considered as a crime according to Tappan. But ignorance of law is not usually a defence.
An act may be considered a crime if it has the following characteristics:
1. Harmful:
A crime is an action. An action to be called a crime must harm the victim. It must have harmful impact on the victim which can be observed externally.
2. Illegal:
An important characteristic of crime is that it is illegal in nature and violates the law of the land.
3. Malafide Intention:
An action to be called “crime must be performed with a malafide intention.” The intention of the crime is always to do harm to someone either physical or mental like causing physical injury or killing someone, forcibly taking away the valuable properties, abducting or kidnapping some one’s child or relation etc.
4. Criminal Intention:
Any action to be labeled as a crime must be criminally oriented. It must have criminal intention. In certain crimes the motive may be good but the intention is always illegal and criminal. For example, recently in a pathetic incident a woman threw to the well all her 3 daughters and killed them and then committed suicide.
Because she was too poor and could not see her daughters starving for days together, she committed this act. The motive of this crime is good but the intention of killing is criminal as per law and legally not allowed.
5. Cause-Effect Relationship:
There must be a cause and effect relationship between crime and the voluntary misconduct. For instance, if a man dies for some other reason (suffocation) even after he is shot, the relationship between the criminal conduct and death (harm) is not clear cut. It will only be considered a crime when the cause effect relationship is quite clear.
6. Concurrence of Intention and Conduct:
The conduct and intention of a person must coincide with each other to be called a crime. In other words the criminal intention and conduct of a person must coincide with each other. A policeman who enters a house to arrest somebody alleged to be involved in a murder cannot be called a trespasser.
7. Punishment Prescribed must be Legal:
Any punishment awarded to the criminal must be legal and prescribed by law. If a misconduct comes under a criminal action, then the punishment prescribed to him must have the legal sanction.
When all the above characteristics are present in a behaviour or conduct it is ideally called a crime. These seven characteristics of crime are however interrelated and overlapping in nature. In short it can be said that a crime is any act which causes harm to man’s interest, be it personal, social, familial, physical or economic.
Some specific characteristics of crime, in India may be different from the characteristic of crimes in other cultures, but crime in general has certain common characteristics.
The crime rate in India is not very high compared to other countries. While the crime rate for one lakh population in India is 614.79, it is 10404 in Britain, 5898 in U.S.A., 10,955 in Canada, 1510 in Japan and 9507 in Netherlands. Of the total crimes committed in India, every year about 16.35 lakh crimes are cognizable crimes under IPC which include theft, robbery, burglary, dacoity, murder, riot, kidnapping, cheating etc.
Under the local and special laws about 38.76 lakh offences are committed every year under Dowry Prohibition Act, Prohibition Act, Gambling Act, Arms act. Immoral traffic prevention act. Explosive Substance Act, Narcotic drug and psychiatric substances Act, Railway Act etc.
Thus in India crimes under local and special laws are more than cognizable crimes under Indian penal code. The pattern of IPC crime indicates that of the total cognizable crimes 14.4 percent are violent crimes such as murder, rape, abduction, kidnapping, 26 percent are property crime such as burglary and theft, 3.1 percent are white collar crimes like cheating, breach of trust, Fraud and 56.5 are other types (miscellaneous) of crimes.
Of the total cognizible crimes committed in India a year 28 per cent are property crimes, out of which 18.6 are theft and 7.4% are burglary, 1.4% are robbery and dacoity 0.6%.Thus, crime is greater for property offences than for other offences against persons like murder, abduction which is similar to U.S. where 77 percent of the crimes are property crimes and 23 percent are crimes against persons.
Of the total IPC crimes 50.6% are committed in 5 states of India namely Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan in order of percentage of crimes committed. More than 85%; of the offenders commit cognizable crimes under the IPC for which they get less than six months imprisonment.
Crime rates are much higher for males than females i.e., 96.2% are males and 3.8% are females. The ratio of urban offenders is much less than the rural offenders.
Crime rate is highest among the low, low middle and middle socio-economic groups. Crime rate is highest in the age group of 18 to 30 years (51%), 41% in 30-50 years age group and 7 percent in 50 + age group. Thus adults seem to commit more crimes than children and adolescents.
The rate of organized crime has increased in India, i.e., large scale organisations have come up for criminal activities. Rackets for control and distribution of illicit goods like drugs, narcotics, smuggling of gold, girls for prostitution in inland and Arabian countries Mafia groups to control Cinema industry, coal industry, unions in industries etc. are on the rise in India.
All these data about Indian crimes and criminals go to prove that in the recent times there has been disorganization in society due to non-conformation to social norms and disturbances in social relationship. Crime rate is increasing alarmingly day by date because of social unrest among young and old, rich and poor.
The unrest and tension is increasing in almost all sections of our society, among the minorities, peasants and youths.
This increases strain and frustration leading to violation of social and legal norms and standards. Because of various organised and unorganized crimes at various levels of the society the law and order in the society have been disturbed. Peaceful citizens of the country are in night mares due to their fear for the criminals. Murders have become every day affair.
4. Essay on the Classification of Crime:
On the basis of criminal procedure code all crimes can be classified in to two categories.
(1) Cognizable crime
(2) Non cognizable crime
Cognizable Crime:
Cognizable crimes are broadly categorized falling either under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or under the special and local laws (SLL). All cognizable crimes reported in a state are dealt by the police in which a police officer may arrest a person without a warrant. In cognizable crimes the police have a direct responsibility to take immediate action on receipt of a complaint or secret information.
He may visit the place of crime, make investigations, interogate the suspected offenders, apprehend the offender deemed fit and produce him before a court of law having jurisdiction over the matter. He has also the responsibility of preparing charge sheet against the alleged offender. Let us take a sample survey of cognizable crimes committed in Chennai from 1995 to 1998.
Given below the ratio of IPC to SLL crimes during the period 1995 to 1998 in Chennai:
From the above data it is seen that crimes under special and local laws are on the average about 5 times more than IPC crimes. The pattern of IPC crimes indicate that rape, kidnapping and abduction, cheating, molestation and hurt etc. show increase between 1995 to 1998.
Particularly the theft and hurt crimes continue to be on the increasing end among other crimes. Both theft and hurt accounted for 29.75% of the total IPC crime, during 1998. However, the percentage of theft cases declined from 14.20% in 1997 to 12.73% in 1998 in Chennai state as reported by Muthukaruppan.
However the crimes under culpable homicide, kidnapping, and abduction of other than women and girls, molestation, cheating, dowry deaths and rape has increased to a great extent in 1998 by 59.26, 57.48, 18.84, 15.03 and 11.73 per cent respectively compared to previous year i.e., 1997 according to the report of Muthukaruppan. (2001)
Let us now examine the crime pattern of SLL crimes in Chennai from 1995 to 1998. The number of cases under Prohibition Act is maximum under SLL crimes which accounted for 48.28, 47.21, 53.49 and 49.05 percent in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998 respectively.
During the year 1998, the percentage of crime under Arms Act increased by 45.16% while there was 100% increase of crimes under copy right Act compared to 1997. i.e., 31 cases in 1997 increased to 62 cases in 1998.
Let us now take the crime record of Mumbai which is said to be highest along with Uttar Pradesh. Mumbai was perhaps the happy dens of under-world gangsters, criminals involved in robbery, dacoity and murder before 1999. With the introduction of the Maharastra control of crime Act 1999 the rate of crime decreased.
The killing of over 200 gangsters in police encounters in the last three years and a string of inter gang murders have reduced the morale of various gangs and destroyed the gang’s ability to operate. Thus in 2002 291 robberies, 33 dacoities and 94 encounters were recorded while in 2003, 239 robberies, 30 dacoities and 47 encounters occurred which show a downward trend in crime.
Between January 2004 to March 2004 (three months) 56 robberies, 12 dacoities and 4 encounters were reported. Reports show that now armed robbery is making a comback with occasional sound of gunshots.
The latest new trend of armed robbery in the city is car-jacking i.e., taking away the victim from his house in his car and making minor injuries on his body, dumping the car at an isolated place with the owner and make an escape.
Reports in the new Indian Express indicate that nine raids in the last two months have detected robbery worth 1.2 crore. The police admits that there has been some increase in robberies, but adds it does not mean that under world gangs are on the rise. Surprisingly the increase of armed robberies is seen at a time when the power of the underworld has decreased.
Probably it may be that some criminals who were working with the underworld gangs earlier have left because of police threat and started doing robberies for a living. It is found that the number of extortion threats has dropped by 90 percent in 2001-2002.
Thus being unable to earn because of tight police action and vigilance the gang-foot soldiers are returning to their old business of armed robbery to maintain themselves.
It is easy for the gangsters to shift to armed robbery because of extortion threats as a stop gap arrangement. Many of them are former robbers who joined hands with the under-world after meeting gangsters in prison. Recruitment to gangs is always made from robbers and criminals whom the gang heads meet in jails. All the major gangsters were robbers first and then gangsters.
For the oversea’s mob bosses and leaders of gangs life has become very hard because police is after them particularly after 11th September incident at New York and so they are running from country to country for shelter.
Police authorities assert that they are trying their best to curb robberies by posting more police men in areas where robberies and shootings are on the rise. Police is also making attempts to prevent armed robberies by meeting bankers, traders and jewellers to discuss precautionary measures against armed attacks.
Coming to the cognizable crimes in other countries, it is found that after U.S.A.’s attack on Iraq lots of cases of abductions, bomb blasts and murders are committed by extremist groups in Iraq, Abduction of innocent foreign nationals working in Iraq has become an everyday affair.
Recently six foreigners including 3 Indian drivers were abducted in Iraq for months together and after a lot of efforts they were made free. Daily suicide bombs and car bombs are killing thousands of people in the world, particularly in Iraq.
In a report published in “The Times of India” it is interesting to note that students of Orissa (which is said to be peace loving state with very less crime records) are now showing interest in crime. Crime committed by students has more than doubled in the last 3 years the reports say. While in 2000 312 students were arrested, in 2001 400, in 2002 600 and in 2003 645 students were arrested for criminal activities.
More and more students most in their early 20s are gradually earning name and fame in the world of crime and as data above show their number is increasing every year. In the city of Bhubaneswar, capital of Orissa, students joining criminal gangs are an alarming phenomenon.
Police record indicates that the crime rate has more than doubled in three years and unfortunately it shows a gradual increase in the number of student criminals. Further, this trend is obvious from the number of youngsters found behind bars. It increased from 402 in 2001 to 600 in 2002 in Bhubaneswar.
Several snatching and dacoity cases like Snatching crime of Sahara India near Bank of Baroda, at Bapujee Nagar on Sept. 2000, Snatching case at Kalinga hospital on May 19th were found in Bhubaneswar committed by robbery gangs. These gangs are involved in several snatching cases in various districts of Orissa.
A report by New Indian Express says that two persons including an advocate were alleged to be involved in armed robbery of Rs. 2 lakhs from a brick Kiln owner in Rourkela. What a pity, those who fight for justice also do injustice and crime.
Crimes are more observed in Slum areas. In an E.T.V. crime file telecast on 15.10.2004 it was told by the Police Officer that in Salia Sohi of Bhubaneswar a lot of Criminal activities and murders are committed daily. Salia Sahi is a slum area where it is difficult to detect the criminals. Even professional caminals come from outside, stay here and commit organised crimes regularly.
Non-Cognizable Crimes:
Non cognizable crimes are usually persued by the affected parties themselves in courts. Police does not initiate investigation against non-cognizable crimes except with the permission of a magistrate. As many as 8, 23,232 crimes were reported in the State of Chennai during 1998 of which 1, 49,293 cases were under IPC and 6,73,939 cases were under SLL.
5. Essay on Violent Crimes:
The incidence of violence has been increasing day by day in India and therefore violence has been a problem of great concern to the society and law and order authorities.
The incidence of violent crimes like murder, attempted murder, dowry deaths, homicide, kidnapping and abduction, etc. is rising in an alarming way affecting the peace, happiness, prosperity and progress of the public. Violent crimes often affect the common man’s feelings regarding safety and security of life and property.
Violent crimes can be classified as follows:
(a) Violent Crimes affecting Life such as murder, attempt to murder culpable homicide not amounting to murder, dowry deaths, kidnapping and abduction.
(b) Violent Crimes affecting Property such as Dacoity, Preparation and Assembly of Dacoity and Robbery.
(c) Violent Crimes affecting Public Safety such as Riots and Arson.
(d) Violent Crimes affecting women such as Rape.
6. Essay on the Trend Analysis of Various Violent IPC Crimes:
(1) Murder:
In 1997, 1987 murder cases were reported as against 1947 in 1998 in Chennai State. But in Uttar Pradesh the numbers of murder cases were 7756 in 1997 and 8307 in 1998 which are much more than Chennai. Tamil Nadu occupies the 7th place in the incidence of murder in India during 1998.
(2) Attempt to Commit Murder:
There is an increase in the incidence of attempt to commit murder in Chennai State in 1998 with 2275 cases while in 1997 it was 2075 cases. In India, the highest figure was recorded in Uttar Pradesh with 6986 cases of attempted murder in 1997 and 8497 cases in 1998.
(3) Culpable Homicide not Amounting to Murder:
There is also increase in the incidence of crime under this category with 43 cases in 1998 as against 27 cases in 1997 in Chennai State. However like murder the number of cases under this head is very high in Uttar Pradesh with 1516 in 1997 and 1322 in 1998.
(4) Rape:
In 1998, 362 rape cases were registered compared to 324 in 1997. Rape recorded in Madhya Pradesh was highest in India with 2392 cases in 1997 and 2349 cases in 1998. Fortunately, Tamil Nadu has recorded less rape cases compared to other major states of India.
(5) Kidnapping and Abduction:
In Chennai during 1997, 1116 cases of Kidnapping and abduction were recorded of which maximum number of cases (989) were registered kidnapping women and girls and 200 cases for others. In Uttar Pradesh Kidnapping and abduction were recorded to be highest in the country i.e. 3714 cases in 1997 and 4369 cases in 1998, Bihar, Assam and Delhi also recorded more than 1200 cases during 1997, 1998.
(6) Dacoity:
In 1997 the total number of dacoity cases was 188 as against 212 cases in 1997. Bihar has recorded the highest number of cases under dacoity i.e., 2392 cases in 1997 and 2349 cases in 1998.
(7) Preparation and Assembly of Dacoity:
A sharp increase is seen in the incidence under this head with 71 cases in 1998 and 63 cases in 1997.
(8) Robbery:
While the incidence of robbery was 969 during 1998 compared 726 in 1997 in Chennai State, Uttar Pradesh registered the highest number of cases under this head with 4458 cases in 1997 as against 5342 cases in 1998.
(9) Riots:
The incidence of crime under the head ‘Riots’ was 7426 in 1997 and 6635 cases in 1998. Rajasthan has recorded the highest, number of cases under this category while in 1997 it was 21,565 in 1998 it decreased to 21,379.
(10) Arson:
There is a decrease in the incidence of Arson in 1998 compared to 1997 in Chennai State. It is 1517 cases in 1998 compared to 1784 cases in 1997. In India highest number of Arsons (2029) has been recorded by Andhra Pradesh in 1998.
(11) Dowry Death:
During 1998, 176 cases of dowry deaths were recorded in Chennai as compared to 153 cases in 1997. It is found that Uttar Pradesh has recorded the highest number of dowry deaths with 1786 in 1997 and 2229 in 1998. Other states of India like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Orissa, West Bengal and Maharashtra have registered more than 200 cases in 1997 and 1998.
A. Situational or Circumstantial Crimes:
Those crimes which are committed primarily due to outward or external factors and circumstances come under this category. In a man’s or woman’s life sometimes certain situations arise for which he or she is forced to commit a crime in spite of his or her best desire not to do so.
Suppose a generous person or social worker finds a devil attempting to rape a woman. The woman is shouting for help but no one dares to go near her and save her.
This courageous man instantly runs to save the woman from the greatest disaster of her life. While doing this the rapist brings out a knife from his pocket and tries to kill the social worker. The social worker tries to protect himself. In this encounter the knife instead of piercing the good man pierces the devil and he is dead.
This is a case of murder committed due to situational factor. Similarly while going in a procession a group of striking employees shouts slogans against their employer, when there was sudden provocation from the police the group started throwing stones and bricks at the police.
This is a crime committed by situations and circumstance. Such crimes usually take place out of provocation. In this context Lemert observes “External stresses and strains temporarily disrupts a person’s equilibrium and induce tensions, which are expressed in criminal behaviour.”
Sometimes due to excessive poverty people start stealing things. But law does not take cognizance of this. According to law this is a crime. Here the crime is neither planned nor motivated not intentional, neither deliberate.
B. Planned or Deliberate Crimes:
These are also called organised crimes. These are serious crimes committed by persons according their sweet will and nobody forces them to commit these crimes. The force comes from within. After careful deliberation and conspiracy when a crime is hatched it is called deliberate crime. Thousands of instances of such crimes are daily observed.
Revenge, vindictiveness, money, property matters, anger, jealousy all these may tempt one to plan a crime and commit it in an organised manner. These persons are professional criminals who do not hesitate to commit a crime after taking ‘SUPARI’ from someone who does not want to be directly involved in the crime. White collar crimes are of this type.
C. Crimes Involving Confidence:
When people join a particular office they take oath of secrecy. The confidential matters in every office be it a Govt. department, defence, army, navy. Bank or a public sector undertaking is to be kept secret. But when some people without observing code of conduct or oath of allegiance transmit the confidential matters to the vested interest person it is called crime involving confidence.
An army officer or an officer in the defence may transfer secret materials relating to the country’s security to the enemy in exchange of huge money.
Examples of such cases are not rare in our country as well as in other countries. They are treacherous persons and enemy of the country. When a young and talented girl is given a job not for the sake of her talent but for her body, (by a business executive) it is a case of crime of confidence.
Such crimes are increasing day by day in every country. Crimes committed by spies are of this type.
Crimes are also classified into Cybercrime, crime against women, crime against children and minority groups, which will be discussed in due course.
Crimes are also divided in to:
(a) Organised and (b) unorganised crimes
Organised Crimes:
Organised crimes are also known as white collar crimes. Crimes committed by smugglers, politicians, terrorists, businessmen, persons engaged in drug trafficking, prostitution, in a planned and organised manner are called organised crimes.
Most of the serious crimes committed in the modern society are so organised that police hardly get any clue to detect such crimes. High class prostitution, racket of call girls, political murders, smuggling of arms and ammunitions are organised crimes.
Even crimes like Bank robbery, theft of Scooters, Cars and two in ones, computers and mobile phones are now a days committed in an organised manner and many persons are involved in it. It just works in a network through a racket. Organised crimes are more dangerous than unorganized crimes.
These crimes are committed after proper planning, co-ordination between the gangs operating at different places and training. The would be criminals or first time petty criminals are given training in pick pocketing, chain snatching, smuggling immoral traffic, murder, robbery and looting of banks.
Children and adolescents are kidnapped from their way to school, friend market or playground. Then they are kept in group of other children already kidnapped and trained in the techniques of various types of crime in a scientific way. Organised crimes are controlled by a leader and several sub leaders. They are provided with all the luxuries of life. So they get addicted to crimes.
Unorganized Crime:
Crimes committed by individuals in their individuals capacity because of poverty, financial constraints and at the spur of the moment are called unorganized crimes. In unorganized crime there is no racket or network. There is no leader. The offenders do not commit the crime systematically through previous plans and intentions. Unorganized criminals are usually not habitual offenders.
Petty thefts, robbery or molestation done in a haphazard and erratic manner are examples of unorganized crimes. Criminals of unorganized crimes are usually detected quickly and such crimes do not continue for a long period. These criminals also do not engage themselves repeatedly in crimes. Unless rejected by the society, unorganized crimes are less dangerous than organised crimes.
Crimes can also be divided in to property crimes, sex crimes, political crimes, religious crimes, terrorist crimes, social crimes. Crime is also related to age. It is seen that crime is mostly committed during the young and middle ages i.e. between 18 to 55 years of age. Very few old people are involved in crimes.
(12) White Collar Crime:
Crimes committed with relation to professional and business activity is called white collar crime. In the current age professional and business activities are more found in a capitalistic society where usually a white collar criminal is not punished.
E.H. Sutherland (1939) an eminent criminologist of the world has defined white collar crime as follows:
“White collar crime is committed by a person of respectability and high social status in course of occupation.” He further adds “the white collar crime is committed in the course of one’s economic and fiscal activities.”
A white collar crime violates the provisions of law and is committed against the society like any other crime. So it is punishable by law. According to Sutherland white collar crime not only emphasizes punishment but includes punish ability.
But unfortunately the law enforcing authorities in capitalistic societies are normally bent upon to ignore or minimize the crimes and illegal activities committed by white collar criminals. Sutherland holds that white collar crime is based on violation of trust.
For example, many publishers sell more books but show less to the authors, there by exploiting the authors and writers. Many educational institutions get full grant in aid from government for the teachers appointed but pay much less to them and the employees are asked to put up their signatures that they are taking the salary paid by government.
Similarly a construction agency or builder pays Rs. 50 per labour per day and takes the receipt for Rs. 80, The balance amount goes to his pocket. When for the financial benefits of the employer the employees are asked to sign on false documents, it amounts to white collar crime.
A construction company who actually spends 100 bags of cement in a particular construction work, but gets the signature from the junior engineer for 300 bags, commits a white collar crime. Corruption is therefore a white collar crime. Contractors get huge sum of money by paying bribes to the engineer.
Smuggling goods and services are also white collar crimes. White collar crime is more found in urban, industrialized cities committed by highly influential persons who often escape being detected because of the mask they use to cheat the society. Call girl racket is a kind of white collar crime managed by people in the high strata of the society.
According to Sutherland a white collar criminal is rarely punished and so this crime flourishes. While the other criminals are shown no sympathy or mercy the white collar criminals get all sympathy from the society and law enforcing authorities. White collar crime is a property related crime and it is not related to any physical violence or murder.
Politically and economically powerful people well placed in the society committing white collar crime are not detected and apprehended by the government and police because they are also susceptible to corruption. Sometimes the white collar criminals involve government agencies very cunningly in their illegal activities so that when detected they could get protection from these officials.
In this connection I remember an incident. When I was Director Higher Education Orissa, a particular private college which was not recognized by the government invited me as chief guest to their annual function. I promptly tried to find out if the college has been recognized by the Director Higher Education Orissa, as the representative of the State Government.
When I found that its recognition has been refused, earlier because it could not fulfill all the conditions, I refused to go to their function on some pretext. If the Director did not recognize a college, how did she go there as the chief guest? This would have posed many questions and doubted my integrity.
Thus because of the increase of the white collar crimes in the industrialized and urbanised societies the social structure becomes weak. White collar crimes include offences and crimes committed by businessmen, politicians, labour and trade unions, government employees, doctors, lawyers and other business organisations.
The white collar criminals in the disguise of gentlemen black-mail the corrupt officials and get their crime legally sanctioned by them. Financial manipulations, black marketing, misappropriation of public funds, illegal presentations of narcotizes prescribed by doctors etc. are white collar crimes.
Various occupational crimes also come under white collar crimes. A white collar criminal having the position of a respectable citizen of the society does not consider himself as a criminal. He may regard himself as a law breaker.
Public also consider him as a law breaker than a criminal because of his prestige and respect in the society. One of the essential elements of the occupational crime is a “non criminal self concept” by the offender which the society also is white washed to accept.
7. Essay on the Classification of Criminals:
Sutherland, the famous criminologist has classified criminals on the basis of the economic status of the individual. In Sutherland’s view every society is classified on the basis of economic condition.
(a) Economically rich and (b) Economically poor
(1) Economically Rich Criminals:
The economically rich criminals are also known as white collar criminals. They commit several crimes of high order, but escape without being detected or penalized because of their money, wealth and so called prestige in the society. Because of their status and position in the society it becomes difficult for the police to punish them.
Even if they are detected they are not convicted because of power, position, money and political pressure. Big politicians, bureaucrats, business men and smugglers engaged in organised crimes are rarely punished. They wear the mask of respectability and their criminal intention is rarely suspected.
Big sumggling rackets, high class prostitution, political murders are organised very intelligently by highly influential persons who with the co-operation and connivance of law and detective agencies, intelligence people successfully save themselves from detection. They hire middlemen to carry out the crimes hatzed by them.
In various Hindi movies we see this type of crime. Various business malpractices, political and moral black mails etc. are the mastermind of white collar criminals. Such criminals are engaged in deep rooted corruptions. They allure poor people to commit these crimes on their behalf by showering money on them and they remain in the background.
According to Sutherland “White collar crime is committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his occupation”
(2) Economically Poor Criminals:
Crimes committed by economically poor criminals come under this type. They are also called low class criminals. These persons more often than not commit crime under compulsion of extreme economic pressure.
It would not be wrong to say that these poor class people are being driven to criminality rather than committing crime on their own sweet will. Because of high degree poverty and needs remaining unfulfilled the poorest of the poor are compelled to commit a crime even against their will.
But since these people are novices to crime and do not know the techniques of committing crimes without being detected, they are easily detected even while committing the crime. Since they mostly commit the crime individually police detects and traps them easily. Since they are poor they are unable to defend themselves successfully in the court of law.
So they are easily convicted unlike the white collar criminals who escape from the hands of law most of the times because of money, power and so called social prestige. Even if a poorman is detected for a small crime, everyone in the society condemns him. But when a rich and influential person commits a crime, nobody even society believes it. So it becomes easy for him to escape without being convicted.
8. Essay on Public Order Crimes:
Public order crimes are crimes without any victims which sounds quite interesting. These are called to be violations of public rules and regulation. Instead of creating any injury to the person it disturbs and disorganizes the community and culture where he lives. Take the example of prostitution or call girl racket, drug addiction and alcoholism.
All these are crimes where the common public is affected socially and psychologically. Instead of being directly harmed, the member of the society is indirectly affected through social disorganization and cultural unrest. As discussed earlier, social disorganization plays a tremendous role in the causation of crime and delinquency.
Prostitution and sexual deviant behaviors like homo sexuality produce deviant sub cultures. Prostitution being an organised crime has tremendous adverse effect on the socio-cultural life of the individual.
It also leads to family and marital unhappiness. Disturbances in life because someone is involved with prostitution leads to many crimes like murder, homicide attempted murder and physical assult. Public order crime goes against the system of moral standard of the society.
It is a crime which moves slowly and gradually and disturbs the norms and standards of an existing culture. Actions taken against such crimes are very mild though prostitution leads to the spread of AIDS.
9. Essay on Corruption:
Corruption is one of the greatest organised crimes in the world which not only affects the persons who are engaged in corruption and who encourage corruption, but also it prohibits the development of the country.
It is a socio economic problem. In the hierarchy of corruption India occupies the seventh position in the world according to (Transparency International) As per the latest survey by Graft watch dog Transparency International (TI) India has received the 90th position in the annual global corruption index released in Oct. 04.
This study ranked (145 position) neighbouring Bangladesh as the most corrupt country for the fourth consecutive years. India occupies the same position with countries like Gambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Russia and Tanzania in corruption perception index. However India has shown a slight improvement over its 2002 score of 2.1. The present scale of India is 2.8 on the scale of zero to 10.
Starting for a class IV employee or a peon to a bureaucrat all is involved in corruption which is a crime. To-day corruption has reached such a height in India that no work can be done in time without bribe. Earlier they were taking money for doing illegal works, but now even for getting your work done which are legal, you have to pay money.
Otherwise you will be harassed. You have to run several times to the concerned assistant or officer to get your work done. Even when you go to pay your tax on water, land or electricity you have to pay bribe which is now-a-days called by civilized people as ‘due’ or commission or tips.
Corruption is described as use of public power for personal profits in a way that constitutes a breach of law or a deviation from the norm of the society. Corruption is undoubtedly a misuse or abuse of authority or office for personal gain. Since corruption is an illegal, prohibited and dishonest action it is rightly called a crime of high order.
All cases of corruption may not have immediate impact upon society as in case of physical violence. In some cases it has immediate effect and in other case it has a delayed but long standing adverse effect upon the public life and public interest. Suppose Mr. ‘X’ has stood first in an interview on merit.
But Mr. ‘Y’ pays huge bribe to the concerned, authority to be selected. So Mr. ‘X’ is put at No. 2 and Mr. ‘Y at No. 1. by reducing the mark of Mr. ‘X’. Since there is only one post Mr. X fails to get the job because of corruption.
Here is a case where the deserving candidate fails to get his right because of corruption which has immediate effect upon the victim. But corruption in the construction of bridges, power projects, railway lines, transferring secret documents on confidential matters etc. have no immediate impact.
It is felt after sometime. In the medieval society people were less luxurious and more moralistic, more disciplined. So corruption was less. But the industrial revolution and expansion of economic activities during the last two world wars opened the path for corruption.
Various controls and restrictions during war provided unrestricted opportunities for favoritism, black marketing, bribe and commissions which come under corrupt practice. After independence for 15-20 years India did not find much corruption. But gradually people lost confidence on politicians for the corrupt practices in general elections and in public life at the central and state level.
To-day dishonesty has spread like an infectious disease in India at all levels. So much so that out of 1000 persons engaged in public service, if only one is found honest, people praise him for his honesty, because people now expect everybody to be dishonest.
There are some who do their duty rightly without any bribe but people think that they should also be given some extra money for the work done as if it is their birth right. But when the person refuses, they are surprised. So this is the position of India to-day in the world of corruption.
Police Dep’t. which has the most important responsibility of maintaining the law and order of the country, nab the dishonest and corrupt persons. It is said to be the most corrupt department where money changes hand in the form of bribes for favours done.
It is also alleged that police takes money from both the accused and the complaint. The power vested with the police is so high that they can make free the real criminals and send the honest innocent persons to jail.
Corruptions are greater at the decision making levels. If out of every 100 rupees sanctioned by the government for any public welfare programme only Rs. 20/- reaches the mass and the rest Rs. 80/- goes to corrupt hands, then it is well evident corruption reached at what level in India.
Malpractices in examinations have become so rampant that it has become difficult to control, though during our times the malpractice in examination was about 1 in one thousand. Number of cases of corruption registered in India was only 300 to 500 between 1981- 1987 while to-day it varies between 2000-2100 a year. But the actual cases of corruption are much more than this.
Causes of Corruption are many. However, selfish interest at the cost of the public interest leads to corruption. Delay in clearing files, making decisions relating to the public lead to corruption. When the decision is delayed people automatically run to the concerned Dep’t. to get their work done and in the process, money changes hand for getting the work done.
In general, causes of corruption can be categorized as economic, social, political, bureaucratic, judicial and legislative. Corruption is mostly caused due to change in value system. Even the children of uncorrupted honest parents do not hesitate to offer bribe for avoiding delay in getting their work done. Thus the society to-day has changed its attitude towards corruption.
People no more attach high stigma to corruption as they did in the past. This encourages corruption. How many people do we find to-day in our society who insists on getting their work done legally without offering and paying bribe. They are very few.
Corruption as a crime has retarded the economic development of our country has created violence and lawlessness. The corrupt man has the money and muscle power to influence the executors of law, to protect his illegal and criminal deals. Even if he commits a murder he gets protection from political big wigs who think what they say is law and what they do is legal.
Corruption gives rise to castecism, linguism and criminalism. It has diminished morality and destroyed individual character. It has heightened inefficiency and created indiscipline in all fields of administration, making life of a common man miserable.
Corruption has also reduced the credibility of officials in the opinion of the common mass. It has increased black money in the country. It has destabilized the government both at the centre and in the states.
10. Essay on the Steps taken to Prevent Corruption in India:
(a) Legal Steps:
(1) Prevention of Corruption Act—1947:
The 1947 Act made it obligatory for the court to make certain presumptions of guilt against the accused. It declared taking bribe, misappropriation, obtaining pecuniary advantage, possessing asserts disproportionate to income and abusing official position as offences.
If the offence against the public servant is proved in the court, it is punishable with imprisonment of varying periods depending upon the degree of crime committed. Thus imprisonment is mandatory and the court has no discretion in this regard.
Measures taken at Govt. level to Control Corruption:
1. In 1960 Govt. of India appointed a committee on prevention of corruption.
2. The central vigilance commission was set up in 1964 as per the recommendation of the above committee to look after the cases of corruption against the Central Govt. and the other employees.
3. The Central Govt. has set up the following Depts. as anti corruption measures:
(a) Administrative vigilance division in the dep’t of personnel and training.
(b) Central Bureau of Investigation.
(c) Domestic violence units in ministries/depts./public undertakings, nationalized banks and central vigilance commission.
4. Lok Aukttays:
11 States in India have set up Lok Aukttays to investigate in to charges of corruption against Ministers/MLAs and other public functionaries. But corrupt officials, politicians and business executives cannot be prosecuted under the prevention of corruption Act unless government permission is accorded for the same.
This slows down the process of investigation. Unless govt. agrees that primafacie case exists no citizen can involve the special courts Act. These handicaps are absent in the Lok Pals. Here a case can be moved by anyone to start a case filling an affidavit.
Control of Corruption:
Eradication of corruption is an election promise by every government before it comes to power, since the citizens and voters give corruption eradication top priority. In the post independent era corruption is probably the outcome of too much freedom or license to people.
It may also be due to poverty and illiteracy of the under developed countries. Corruption may also spread mainly because of the politicians who take lot of money from the industrialists and persons of vested interest at the time of election for election expenditure.
Expenses in elections are to be strictly controlled to control corruption. Bad laws are to be changed or repealed. If the law becomes too harsh and complicated, ambiguous, it may lead to more corruption. Delay in disposal of cases involving public and individual interests should be avoided.
Officials of doubtful integrity should be kept away from sensitive posts. Surprise checks should be carried out at Vulnerable points of corruption. Liberalization policies should be introduced very cautiously. Public cooperation is essential for fighting against corruption.
Corruption is like a monster, an infectious disease which can be eradicated by the collective efforts of the people of the society. In a democratic country like India people have important duties and responsibilities towards their country.
They need not forget that they should play crucial role in fighting various crimes including corruption, gender discrimination and violence. Absence of strong public forum and social organisations to oppose corruption helps in the spread of corruption. The cooperative efforts of responsible and enlightened citizens of the country can help in controlling corruption.
Election funds should be received in a bonafide manner to prevent corruption in politics. Govt. may think of financing elections as is done in advanced countries like Germany, Norway, Sweden and some advanced countries of Europe.
Corruption has ceased to shock people in India. They take it for granted unless people are directly involved in combating corruption, unless people stop giving bribes, unless peoples blood boil at corrupt practices corruption will spread further more in India like a cancer and this crime will be uncontrollable.
So long as corruption fails to attract legal, moral and social censors there is no hope in controlling it, keeping it within the limit.
(b) Psychological and Social Steps:
Social moral and human valued should be developed in the child from the very beginning. Honesty, and justice should be their personality traits. Parents should not be corrupt as children of corrupt parents become corrupt because of imitation learning.
Moral and value education is essential for children and students to fight corruption. For honest political rules, and for a democracy which works for the people, by the people and of -the people it is essential to uproot dishonesty. Corrupt politicians should not be allowed to fight elections.
Finally, the corrupt people should be socially isolated and alienated; people should hate them and make them social isolates without keeping any contact with them. They should not be invited to public functions, social gathering and meetings as guests or participants.
11. Essay on the Prevention, Detection and Control of Crime:
It has been viewed by many that a society without crimes and criminals is a heaven. It is therefore essential to find out techniques to prevent crime. The process of prevention should start from the early childhood and continue till adolescence as held by sociologists and psychologists. This has been discussed earlier in the text.
However some additional measures of prevention are discussed below. Some claim that detection of crime leads to prevention. So detection and prevention are related and complimentary to each other. Detecting all the crimes is probably the greatest preventive measure they say. With the nature of man and circumstances that he has to face in a society hundred percent prevention is not possible and in spite of all efforts offences are bound to occur.
So detection of crime is essential. But the supporters of prevention hold that while high detection of crime fills prisons high prevention empties them. However to my mind both detection and prevention of crime are essential to control crime.
The causes of crime are largely related to socioeconomic conditions of a culture. Hence crime can be prevented by preventing the occurrence of juvenile delinquency. If youngsters are prevented from being criminals a great degree of crime can be prevented.
The prevention and control of juvenile delinquency is the responsibility of the society, the government and the police. Particularly those juveniles who are orphans, uncared for by their guardians, do not get the opportunity for a stimulating environment, education and proper food, those who have gone astray, or are tempted to go off the beaten track they should be dealt with sympathy and understanding.
The social activists, the police and voluntary organisations should be friend and guide them. To sympathies with the juvenile delinquents juvenile police units and juvenile police clubs have been formed in various places of the world. If there is a friendly relationship between the police and the juvenile who is tempted to act illegally, it will refrain him from becoming a criminal.
By this an essential part of the prevention can be achieved. The police has been authorized by law for the prevention of crime through section 54 and 55, 106 to 110 127 and 128, 149 to 152 and 5G5 of the criminal procedure code and the Habitual offenders act.
The criminals and law breakers in each area are to be detected and known in detail. Through intelligence news the police have to know in advance what is going to happen and when. Local knowledge in essential to get in to these information’s.
The police should also arrange for regular informers who will inform the police the antecedents and activities of the criminals; what they are planning to do and so on. The help of the local people and villagers are to be taken in detecting the criminals. It is also a fact that in prisons, much crimes are organized by prisoners to be committed after release.
A lot of valuable and important clues can be had about the future crimes to be held if the police periodically visits the jail and makes surprise checking’s. For the smooth operation of this process the police should have coordination with prison department.
Besides good patrolling of sensitive areas both in day and night is one of the best preventives of crime observes Mr. F.U. ARUL Ex Director C.B.I. He further suggests that the patrolling should be done by foot to acquire local knowledge and prevent crime.
He says from his experience that a constable in uniform has proved to be the most effective deterrent to criminals. The uniform is a moral support and protection particularly against assault.
The Ex CBI Director holds that a considerable volume of crime can be prevented if large number of uniformed foot patrols can be organised. In addition to this broad based security action and application of Habitual offenders Act as far as possible will lead to the optimum prevention of crime.
But in spite of the optimum preventive measures there will be some crime left in the society. For the control of crime, crime should be freely and properly reported when all crimes are reported, a pattern will come out which will help in detection. The general public should be encouraged by police to come forward and report all occurrences of crime without fear.
For this purpose village vigilance committees at the village level and station vigilance committee in major cities should be set up who will report all crimes or plans for crime to the police and help the police in carrying out its duties with regard to crimes and criminals.
The law can also empower to the village committee to take such steps in regard to crimes and criminals. The Ex chief Minister of Orissa, Late Sri Biju Patnaik empowered a courageous tribal woman with the power of a police to take steps against antisocial activities in that locality.
The investigation of crime should also be done judiciously so that the actual criminal can be detected without any mistake. Thus for the prevention of crime correct investigation and detection is necessary. A mutual understanding between the police and the public and healthy cooperation of the public with the police is essential for the prevention and control of crime. By controlling the ‘why’ of criminal behaviour crime can be controlled, though not totally eliminated.
The society’s conviction or mental belief about a convict is punishment or imprisonment or life sentence. But every man has two aspects good and bad, devil and saint. A convict may be devil, but he has also a conscience. William Faulkner also agrees with this.
People may deny, but there is some truth in the fact that a convict can have a conscience. He too can believe in values and live by them. I have seen in U.S.A. where convicts are taken out to do outdoor work, social service like cleaning of forests, mountains, roads of country side. They work while in chains. Moderate and first time offenders are allowed to work in open jails without chains.
Convicts and offenders are engaged in national calamity like floods, droughts, earth quake and tarnados, cyclones in many countries. In 1927 when the Mississippi river in U.S.A was in floods the prison officials brought out a batch of convicts to protect the residents of the area from the swelling flood waters by putting sand bags on the bank of the river.
When the administration got the news that people are stranded on the top of the trees, on house tops, two convicts relieved of their chains were sent to the area to start the rescue operation. One of them said “let us run away.” But the other did not agree.
Out of 20 years of sentence he served 11 years and 9 years were left. Still he said let me go back and complete the remaining nine years. The convict then rescued a pregnant woman from the a tree making his life risky. They remained hungry for 3 days and with no sleep they were rowing along the vast river.
A sympathizer gave them some food. On reaching a town the convict worked for a few days, earned some money to buy some food. He did not beg. He was comfortable to eat the food he earned. That showed his sense of individuality, self respect and self esteem. So who says convicts have no conscience or self respect? They have often. So why can’t they be changed for better?