1 6
2 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
3 of streams. Thefts of this class of salt were not adequately
4 punished in former years, and this mistaken leniency encour-
5 aged smugglers. Greater severity is now ‘shown in dealing
6 with these cases and the result is satisfactory. Fire-arms
7 were used in twocases. A peon shot a smuggler in the Karak
8 Beat and was held by the District Officer to have been justi-
9 fied in doing so, as his own life was in danger. In the Naré
10 Beat eight armed smugglers attempted to remove 5$ maunds
11 ofsalt. They were pursued by the establishment, and fire-
12 arms were used on both sides, though without serious results.
13 ~ The removal of the salt was prevented, and two of the s.nug-
14 glers were arrested.
15 There were no cases of importance at the Sambhar Lake
16 or in the Pachbadra Division, At Sambhar there were «2
17 cases, in which 19 persons were concerned, as compared withe
18 31 cases and 49 persons in 1900-01. In the Pachbadra Divi-
19 sion 72 persons were arrested in 31 cases against 94 persons
20 in 30 cases during the previous year. .The greater number of
21 cases in this Division occurred on the Luni river, where the
22 effects uf famine have not yet disappeared. Offences on the
23 Luni are still more numerous than they were before the famine.
24 Every care is taken to refrain from punishing persons who
25 may be impelled to steal salt through the pressure of want.
26 There was a petty case of removal of efflorescence at
27 the Didwana Salt Source, and one unimportant aitempt to
28 remove half a sér of salt from the Sultanpur Salt Works,
29 In the Internal Branch there were 1,354 cases and 1,646
30 arrests, as compared with 867 cases and 1,244 arrests during
31 sgoo-o1, A larger number of crude factories were worked
32 during the year, ‘and consequently 1,067 persons were impli-
33 cated 1 2 the illicit manufacture of salt upon them, as compared
34 with only §95 in 1900-01. 326 persons were detected manu-
35 facturing earth salt illicitly against 407 in the previous yéar.
36 97 persons were discovered working factories without licenses
37 against 42 in 1900-01. 18 persons were found to have
38 manufactured Khari, Rassi and refined saltpetre upon fac-
39 tories licensed for the production of crude saltpetre only
40 against 25 persons in 1900-01, 29 persons were detected
41 importing salt from Native States without payment of duty,
42 and 106 were found in possession of illicit salt, the numbers
43 in the previous year being 66 and 104 respectively. In two
44 cases 3 persons were implicated in the smuggling of salt
45 from saltpetre refineries as compared with 5 persons in 3 cases
46 in 1900-01. Maunds 166-16-0 of illicit salt and maunds
47 g21-10-5 of other saline substances were seized during the
48 year, Ofthe 1,646 persons arrested, 866 were released de-
49 partmentally and 780 were committed for trial. Of these
50 latter the cases of ‘698 had been disposed of by the close of
51 the year, one person absconded, and the cases of 81 persons
52 were pending trial, 660 persons were convicted and 38 were
53 acquitted, the percentage of convictions in decided cases,
54 being 94°56 against 97°06 in 1g00-a1.
55 See Sone 63. Two peons were punished criminally at the Sambhar
56 mitted by members of Lake for stealing salt which they were appointed to guard. A
57 the establishment, = neon in the c#s-Indus Mines Division was accused of the
58 murder of a comrade and was sentenced to seven years’ trans-
59 portation by the Sessions Judge of Jhelum, but, on appeal, the
60 sentence was set aside by the Chief Court of the Punjab, on
61 { 2 )