Mumbai's graph of rape cases witnesses steady rise

Over six months after two gang rapes on the premises of the Shakti Mill at Mahalakshmi came to light, the safety of women in the city continues to be a burning issue.

Since August 2013, when the Shakti Mill gang rape took place, 220 cases jof rape have been registered will the Mumbai police.

Last year (January to December 2013), there were 388 cases of rape registered across the city. Compare this with the 231 cases that had been registered in 2012, it's a 67% rise.

This year (2014), 74 cases have been registered in January and February. Statistics for the current month of March have not yet been compiled by the police. For the same two-month period, the number of rape cases over the last two years stood at 58 in 2013 and 22 in 2012. A steadily rising graph for the two-month time slot over the last three years.

Peel off these cold statistics and look beneath the numbers, they translate into a rather grim story regarding the safety of women in a city whose police force was billed as being 'next to the Scotland Yard'.

The Mumbai police, in their desperate attempt to instil faith in people, has launched a slew of helplines and cell phone applications for the safety of women. While the women's helpine number '103' has been in use, another initiative 'ICE' – acronym for 'In Case of Emergency' witnessed several problems since its launch. The Mumbai police did not have statistics of how many used the application and how many were reached out to in case of an emergency.

Police commissioner Rakesh Maria recently launched a 'Travel Safe' SMS helpline 9969777888, for women who travel late.

Deputy commissioner Mahesh Patil, police spokesperson, said that this helpline received 1,760 messages since its launch in March. "Our officials also keep a close tab on crowded areas to ensure women's safety," he said.

On Thursday, home minister RR Patil told mediapersons that the state is initiating more fast-track courts to deal with cases of crimes against women.