City witnesses a gradual rise in cases of molestation, rape & instances that can be lodged under POCSO
Is maximum city becoming unsafe for women? The state government's data suggests that Mumbai is witnessing a gradual rise in cases of rape, molestation, riot, and those lodged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012.
The number of rape cases lodged under the jurisdiction of the Mumbai Police commissionerate has risen from 394 in 2013, to 610 in 2014, 712 in 2015 and 2016, 751 in 2017 and 889 in 2019.
This was stated in a written reply by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to a question raised by Rupesh Mhatre (Shiv Sena-Bhiwandi East), Bharati Lavhekar (BJP-Versova), and others in the state legislative assembly on Tuesday.
The reply also stated that molestation cases rose from 1,161 in 2013 to 1,616 in 2014 and 2,008 in 2015. In 2016, molestation cases in Mumbai stood at 2,180 and rose to 2,268 in the subsequent year to end at 2,586 in 2018.
The number of cases of molestation solved by the police has also increased steadily.
Instances of rioting have also witnessed a gradual rise — from 359 in 2013 to 545 in 2018. In 2014, Mumbai saw 412 cases of riots being lodged, which fell marginally to 400 in 2015, but again rose to 476 in 2016 and dipped 441 in 2017.
Offences registered under the POSCO Act also increased from 813 in 2014 to 1,026 in 2015, fell slightly to 964 in 2016, rose to 1,128 in the next year and ended at 1,210 in 2018. The number of cases which were solved has also risen.
Fadnavis said all cases of offences against women and children were being investigated with sensitivity by the Mumbai police. The state government has also taken measures like establishing a cell to tackle crimes against women, launching 27 special and 25 fast-track courts to try these cases and had issued a set of standard operating procedures to investigate rape cases. Foot patrolling is also being conducted by the police to prevent molestations and eve-teasing and investigation units for crimes against women have been set up at Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur cities, and Pune (Rural), Yavatmal and Ahmednagar.
However, Chitra Wagh, president of the NCP women's wing, claimed that these figures were under-reported, with the extent of the problem being higher. "There are laws to protect women, but when they go to the police station to lodge offences like dowry harassment and domestic violence, they are often counselled by the police against doing so. This is wrong. It is the right of women to assert their rights. Criminals feel emboldened as cases are not lodged and taken to their logical end," she charged.
Dr Asha Mirge, former member of the state women's commission, too called these figures under-reported. "The confidence of women to report these cases even if it means going against their family and police. The men in society must be sensitised," she stressed.
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