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Centre fires Maharashtra salvo on women safety in Mumbai

The rising crime against women in the city has alarmed even the central government.

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The rising crime against women in the city has alarmed even the central government. The union home ministry has shot off a missive to the state, pointing out that Mumbai has for long served as a role model to other metropolises in India and the world in terms of safety of women. 

The home ministry's data points out, "The total crime against women in 2011 (up to August) is as high as 906 cases (in Mumbai). It includes 108 cases of rape, 124 kidnappings, 306 molestations, 178 cases of cruelty by husband and family, 90 immoral trafficking cases, 93 sexual harassment cases and five dowry deaths."

According to minister of state for home (centre) Jitendra Singh, "The National Crime Records Bureau data indicate that crimes against women in Mumbai, on an average, has crossed 1,000 cases a year. In 2008, the total crime cases against women was 1,571, of which 502 related to cruelty inflicted by husband and family and 436 of molestation. The same statistics for 2009 was pegged at 1,332 — 434 cases of cruelty by husband and family and 400 of molestation. The records compiled in 2010 show that the total number of crimes against women was 1,409. Here, too, figure for cases of molestation was highest — at 475, followed by atrocities by husband and family (312).”

A senior secretary in the state home ministry told DNA, "The study has shown that cases of crime against women, including eve teasing and molestation, has multiplied in the city in the last three years. A lot them are not even registered as people fear social stigma, even in urban society."

Home ministry sources admit, "Dealing with domestic violence is difficult as women are often isolated and fight a lonely battle. Round-the-clock policing in light of the current shortage of manpower is not possible. Awareness and public participation is a must to tackle the menace."

The state, while drawing up additional measures to give more teeth to policing, is working with various social and NGO working on women-related issues to study factors responsible for the growing crime against women in the city.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has urged home minister P Chidambaram to provide special aid to Mumbai. He has argued that most of the manpower and the machinery is solely being devoted on measures to tackle terrorism around the year.

Women MLAs and MPs cutting across party lines have urged the state government to being about stringent laws to tackle the issue.

An amendment to the current law to make eve-teasing a serious crime is already underway.

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