According to the world health organisation, 1 in 3 women has experienced – physical or sexual violence during the lockdown and in post lockdown challenges. If you are experiencing violence, it may be helpful to reach out to family, friends, and neighbours, to seek support but now the Maharashtra state government has opened many centres where you can register your complaint. India recorded an average of 87 rape cases daily in 2019 and overall 4, 05,861 cases of crime against women during the year, a rise of over 7% from 2018, and the latest government data released on September 29, 2020. The findings come amidst widespread outrage over the gang rape and brutalisation of a Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras. The country recorded 3, 78,236 cases of crimes against women in 2018, the data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed. A total of 32,033 cases of rape were lodged in 2019, which was 7.3% of all crimes against women during the year, the data showed.
The number of rape cases in Mumbai went up from 728 in 2015-2016 to 904 in 2019-2020 (a 24% increase), according to the city-based Praja Foundation report. The number of rape cases in Mumbai went up from 728 in 2015-2016 to 904 in 2019-2020 (a 24% increase), there has been an increase in crimes against women and children. A total of 2,145 molestation cases were registered in 2015-2016, as against 2,677 in 2019-2020, an increase of 25%. The report stated that children were victims in 61% of the rape cases in Mumbai in 2019. According to the report, probes in 67% of the 15,654 crimes against women, and 73% of the 11,268 crimes against children were pending. It also stated that 61% of investigations (3,039 cases) under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were pending. The report also stated similar pendency across courts in Mumbai — 94% of the 23,791 cases related to crimes against women were pending in courts, while 92% of the 8,126 cases of crime against children were pending in courts. 89% of the 4,250 cases under the POCSO Act too were pending in courts, stated the report. Also, the report stated that of the 222 cases tried in 2019, only 20% were finished within a year, section 35 of the POCSO Act states that the court should complete the trial within one year of cognisance of the offence. There are multiple reasons for trials to be delayed. An increase in cases and a shortage of police personnel are among them. There are lots of factors responsible for the delay. Sometimes, witnesses are not available or cannot come on a particular date. Or, at times, either the public prosecutor or defence lawyers are not available, or the courts could be busy in some other cases. In a criminal case, the most important thing is homework for a case and case papers of investigation. The police officer has to make sure that he has prepared all documents as per mandatory provisions. At times, for technical reasons, the accused gets the benefit of the doubt and many cases never reached justice. Maybe this is the reason the state commission for women in Maharashtra will set up offices at the divisional level where complaints can be registered and, with the help of the respective police superintendent, immediate steps would be taken. Currently, there is only one office in Mumbai which handles all such complaints and forwards instructions to the respective divisional office after submitting a review, which is a time-consuming process.
In 2018, 33,356 rapes were recorded across the country, up from 32,559 in 2017, according to the data from corresponding years. The majority of these cases under the Indian Penal Code were registered under ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’ (30.9 per cent) followed by ‘Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’ (21.8 per cent), ‘kidnapping and abduction of women’ (17.9 per cent), the NCRB data for 2019 showed. The crime rate registered per lakh women population stood at 62.4 in 2019 in comparison with 58.8 in 2018, it showed. The NCRB, which functions under the Union Home Ministry, is tasked with collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.
There were a total of 4,05,861 cases of crime against women which was registered in 2019. The number is a 7.3% increase over last year’s where the number of registered cases were 3, 78,236. 30.9% of the crimes against women were labelled under ‘Cruelty by Husbands or his relatives.’ This implies that 30.9% of all the crimes last year against women were perpetrated by people who were close to the victim. 21.8% of these crimes were registered under ‘Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty.’ There were 1, 08,025 victims of kidnapping or abduction in 2019, out of which 84,921 were women. Among these, 55,370 female victims were children. Out of the 3, 80,526 people who went missing last year, 2, and 48,397 were women. The overall figure of missing persons in the country has increased by 9.5% in 2019 from last year. India’s massive 1.3 billion population, an ancient culture, and rapidly changing attitudes combine to create one of the world’s most fascinating destinations. But, there is no guarantee for female travelers’ safety. India could well be one of the most rapidly-changing cultures on earth – and these changes are leading to tensions in society. We are a civilised society and talking about equality, development, and growth but somewhere deep down in our roots mankind needs a correct approach towards females.
