Page 284 - Bahrain Gov annual reports(V)_Neat

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Police Funds. The balance in the Police Fund at the end of the year was Rs. 32,649
including Rs. 20,000 being a loan from the Government. Loans amounting to Rs. 49,155 were
granted during the year to Police and Naturs, in many eases the loans were in order to enable
policemen to buy land and build houses. The amount in the Police Provident Fund was
Rs. 3,63,250 at the end of 1955. A number of the Police became entitled to join the Pension
Scheme; in order to ascertain their ages, about which none of them had any record, a board
consisting of Police Officers and a medical officer examined each man individually. As is usual
in Bahrain when any innovation is proposed the pension scheme was not regarded with any
favour by the Police when it was first instituted.-
Crime. There were few serious crimes during the year but the number of accidental
deaths, not excluding traffic casualties, was greater than usual.
Thefts. There was an increase in the number of thefts which were reported to the Police ;
out of 490 reported thefts convictions were obtained in 79 eases; in 284 eases there was insuffi­
cient evidence for proceedings to be taken in court and in the remaining cases it was doubtful
whether thefts had actually taken place. Most of the people who were convicted or who were
charged were foreigners, Persians and Omanis.
The largest theft was of piece goods from a shop which was entered and robbed by the
occupants of an adjacent shop. In this case some of the stolen property was recovered but
the victim of the robbery claimed that he had lost property, which he valued at over Rs. 200,000/-
over a period of time. The two men who were convicted of this theft were sentenced to two
years imprisonment.
There was another case of safe breaking, which is an offence which has only developed
during the last two or three years. Four Persians were concerned in this robbery and were
sentenced to periods varying from 2—3 years imprisonment.
Thefts from houses occurred mostly in rooms occupied by Indians and Pakistanis who
were away at work during the day leaving their belongings inadequately protected.
A very serious theft took place from the Finance Department Office in the Bab-al-Bahrain,
opposite the Police Station. A packet containing the pay for the staff of the Girls Schools
was removed from the safe, some of the money was dropped below a window, on a side lane,
which was found to be open when the theft was discovered. The matter was further complicated
by the sudden death, very shortly after the theft, of one of the Department’s officials who was
responsible for the contents of the safe.
At Sitra pier and at the Manama Customs* four persons, two of them Persians and two of
them Baluchis, were arrested while in possession of opium, the quantities were as follows,
140 lbs., 35 lbs., 5 lbs. and 133 lbs. In three cases the men in possession of the opium were
sentenced to 2 years imprisonment and in one case a man who was concerned in the matter
was sentenced to three months imprisonment.
Suicide. There was one case of suicide. A Bahraini girl poured kerosene over her
clothes and set light to them. Last year there were two cases of suicide, by women, by the
same method.
Murder. An Omani youth was found, murdered, in the country near Bani Jamra. He
had been employed in a garden at Zellaq. No evidence was forthcoming against any individual
in this case nor was any reason for the crime discovered.
A Pakistani linesman employed by Messrs. D. and C. and William Press on the electric
distribution system while working at Diraz was accused by some of the villagers of shooting
at one of them with a revolver. The case was not proved. The revolver, which was not found,
was said to have been in the possession of one of the villagers. The Indian and his two
companions were tied up and beaten by the villagers.
Two Pakistanis attacked and beat a Baluchi at Awali camp. They were convicted and
sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.
Accidental Deaths. There were five cases of death by drowning, none of them revealed any
suggestion of foul play. As usual one man was drowned at Adhari pool. This is an almost
annual occurrence as the pool is a dangerous place for people who cannot swim. A woman
died from burns caused by a cooking stove and three persons, two of them children were electro­
cuted. A painter working on a ladder fell to the ground and subsequently died and another
man lost his life when the wall of a house collapsed.
A Baluchi, who was drunk, fell into a ditch and was injured and died as a result. Three
persons died in hospital after drinking methylated spirits.