According to survey, 1 in every 11 incident of crime in Delhi was of sexual harassment, while in Mumbai, the ratio was 1 in every 25.
Sexual harassment cases form the second highest number crime cases in Delhi. Yet, it remains the least reported, as suggested by a study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI).
Incidences of sexual harassment, that includes stalking, staring, molestation, etc., forms the second highest number of total cases of crime reported, revealed the survey. In Mumbai, too, it was the second highest.
Out of the 2700 female respondents across different income groups in Delhi, 75 respondents, or 2.78%, spoke of some form sexual harassment. In Mumbai, out of 2006 female respondents, 39 (1.94%) reported sexual harassment.
Of these, sexual comments formed the highest percentage in both cities, forming 75.94% of Delhi’s cases, and 56.72% of Mumbai’s. Staring indecently formed 18.22% of Delhi’s cases, and 20.90% of Mumbai’s. Stalking formed 3.74% of Delhi sexual harassment cases, and 10.45% of Mumbai’s cases. 1.60% of Delhi’s cases were of molestation, as were 11.94% of Mumbai’s.
This means that 1 in every 11 incident of crime in Delhi was of sexual harassment, while in Mumbai, the ratio was 1 in every 25.
However, the report also revealed that sexual harassment was the least reported crime in both cities, out of seven categories of crime cases. In Delhi, 24% of the female respondents said that they did not want to be stuck in police matters, while in Mumbai 6% of respondents were wary of doing so. In Mumbai, most of the respondents, 7%, felt that the police will not entertain their complaint.
The study also shows that in Delhi, 53.2% of all criminal cases, and in Mumbai, 58.2%, remained unreported. Most felt that getting involved in a police case was not ideal; with 48% of Delhi’s respondents and 37% of Mumbai’s respondents citing that as a reason.
Maja Daruwala of the CHRI said that the report is a response to the growing need of more comprehensive and diversive data than those maintained by government bodies like the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). “We wanted to show that we cannot just rely on registered data. There is a disjuncture that most citizens feel between what the police needs to do and what the police does. This study shows that there’s a lot more to be done,” she said.
For instance, with the data, the police can look at what are the cities deserted spots, and how far is a police station from a metro station, said a few women present at the event.
KMM Prasanna, ACP (Crime), Mumbai, said that the Mumbai police will have an internal discussion to see how best can the force use the data. “Our internal study shows that over 99.3% of rape cases are committed by a relative of the victim, and that over 50% of rape cases go unreported. If a woman wants so, we are willing to go to her place and take the complaint,” said Prasanna. He said that after the Shakti Mills gangrape, the police force has take several steps to ensure safety of women.
Sunita Dhar of Jagori, a women’s rights organisation that collates several data on violence on women, said that it will be important to see how is the data used. “Usually, the government only recognises data collated by its own organisations,” she said.
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