1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THEPFFICIAL YEAR 1895-96,
2 69. Full detajls by divisions oj the number of persons
3 arrested for offences against the salt laws, the number discharged
4 by the Department after inquiry, the number prosecuted, and
5 the result of the prosecutions, will be found in appendix IV
6 of this report. The following is an abstract of the appendix
7 for the past two years :—
8 Released Percentage
9 Year. Eabiaredy by the De- Pg: Acquitted. |Convicted. of
10 * 1 partment, = convictions.
11 1894-95 ... an 1,445 885 560 39 520 93°02
12 1895-96 ... ae 1,934 1,356 578 | 18 | 558 96°87
13 The total number of persons concerned is more than in the
14 preceding year by 489, and the number of persons discharged
15 after inquiry is more by 471. The number sent up for trial
16 is more by 18, the number acquitted by Magistrates is less
17 by 21, and the convictions are more by 88, or 520 persons in
18 1894-95, and 558 in 1895-96. ‘There was one pending case at
19 the end of 1895-96. The percentage of convictions on com-
20 mittals is satisfactory, having increased from 93:02 in 1894-95
21 ei remarkably good percentage of 96°87 in the year just
22 ended.
23 . Inthe Panjéb Mines the cases that came under inquiry
24 increased from 219 to 706, or by 487, the whole of this increase
25 being due to greater care in registering those cases in which
26 passengers at the Attock railway bridge were found in posses-
27 Sion of small quantities of Kohat salt below one seer, often
28 only a Phittack or two, intended for personal use. In these
29 cases the possessors were not arrested, or even detained, but
30 proceeded on their journey, without molestation, by the same
31 train. Atthe Sulténpur salt works the arrests during the
32 year fell from three to one, At Sambhar they increased
33 from 18 to 22, owing to the year being dry, and to the temp-
34 tation to ateal salt being greater, because of the more
35 extensive formations of salt around the extensive shores
36 of the lake. At Didwana there were no arrests in
37 either year, neither were there any at Falodi. At Pachbadra
38 the arrests increased from 15 to 23, the increase having occur-
39 red in the Luni salt tract, which was again very dry this year,
40 and where the poor people suffered great distress from the high
41 price of grain. In the Internal Branch the arrests decreased
42 by 8, or from 1,190 in 1894-95 to 1,182 in 1895-96. As the
43 establishment, from the two Assistant Commissioners down-
44 “wards, were, it is known, very vigilant during the year, this
45 decrease in the number of arrests in the Internal Branch is
46 quite satisfactory. Noreally noteworthy captures of salt or
47 arrests were made during the year, nor did any affrays with
48 smugglers occur.
49 70. Details of the discharges, made at the time of inquiry
50 by Departmental officers, are next given for the past two years,
51 The headings of the statement show the reasons for discharge.
52 As [have previously explained the increase in the discharges for
53 being in possession of small quantities of salt took place mostly
54 at the Attock railway bridge owing to the proper registration
55 of the cases in 1895-96.
56 { 53 )
57 PENAL ACTION OF THE
58 DEPARTMENT.
59 Arrests for breaches of the
60 salt laws.
61 Departmental releases.