In the wee hours of Sunday, a group of navy officers misbehaved with a women in front of her husband in a posh pub in Khar and, early on Saturday, a tenant was gang-raped by her landlord's son and two of his friends in Goregaon's Aarey Colony area. Earlier this month, a 38-year-old woman, who had left her home after an argument with her relatives, was raped by an unknown man in Powai.
Crime against women continues to become a graver concern for the Mumbai Police as statistics reveal that such crimes have increased considerably in the first quarter of this year as compared with the first quarter of last year.
Apart from this, other serious offences on a rise are attempt to murder, robbery, theft and cyber crime, statistics show.
The police said 885 offences of crimes against women were registered from January till March this year as against the 848 registered in the same period last year. Till March 2014, 138 cases of rape were registered, with 76 minors being raped. Last year's figures for the same were 96 and 51, respectively.
Kidnapping of women, too, is on the rise with 76 cases registered this year as against the 67 registered last year. This year, 71 minors were kidnapped, while last year, the number was 54. Cases of outraging modesty of women have increased from 327 last year to 390 this year. Cases of mental and physical harassment for dowry have risen from 133 last year to 154 this year.
Meanwhile, other crimes too have plagued the city in the first quarter of this year with the police registering 9,142 criminal cases under the Indian Penal Code as against the 8,422 registered last year for the same period. While 45 attempt to murder cases were registered last year, this year, there have been 53. Cases of robbery, including chain-snatching, have risen from 588 to 666. Cases of house break-in have increased from 649 last year to 735 this year, while cases of theft have increased from 1,499 last year to 1,589 this year. Cyber-crime offences registered this year till March are 54 as compared with the 41 cases registered from January to March last year.
Soon, all-women beat marshal teams will patrol city 24x7: JCP Kamlakar
In the wake of increasing crimes, JCP (law and order) Dhananjay Kamlakar tells dna's Somendra Sharma that the rising trend is due to more awareness among women. He also revealed that the police department is planning to set up teams of women beat marshals, which will patrol the city 24x7 and will be trained in driving, martial arts and handling of arms.
Cases of crimes against women have increased in the first quarter of this year as compared with the first quarter of last year. What do you think is the reason?
There has been a lot of awareness among women and a no-tolerance policy followed by the police against crimes and criminals, which is why the figure is showing an increase.
Women are still misbehaved with at public places. What are the measures being taken to curb this menace?
We are setting up all-women teams of beat marshals in a month. Under this initiative, women constables will be trained in driving, martial arts and arms and will patrol in day and night shifts near schools, colleges and places where women are likely to be subjected to crimes.
How serious is the Mumbai Police's focus on safety of women?
We are very serious in our approach towards this. We have given instructions to police stations to provide vehicles for women who are unable to get transport in isolated areas for railway stations. We have given 12 to 18 women constables to each police station so that policewomen are available to attend to the complaints of women. We have started an exclusive number for those women who are travelling alone. They can give details of the transport vehicle they are in to the police via an SMS. In Bandra, Mumbai Central, CST, Borivli, Kurla and Dadar, regulated taxi stands have been started so that instances like the Esther Anuhya murder case do not occur again.
Other serious offences such as attempt to murder, robbery, theft and cyber crime have also increased. What do you have to say on this?
This is because more people are coming forward to report them and police officers, on their part, aren't passing the buck and registering the cases.
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