Showing an ugly side of the City Beautiful, rape cases have witnessed a record increase in the year 2014, highest in the past two decades.
The number of reported rape cases which stands at 57, till the end of November this year, is the highest reported in past two decades.However, Chandigarh police says the rise in the number of cases signals that more cases are now being reported. They say several efforts have been taken to ensure women’s safety in the city.
A senior police official said, “All the officials of the Chandigarh police have been instructed to register the cases immediately whenever a victim has complained or alleged rape. Following the quick registration of cases in incidents involving crime against women, the numbers have gone up.”
Going by the official statistics of the Chandigarh police, this year till November, 57 rape cases have been registered. In majority of the cases, the victims were minor girls. According to official data of NCRB, in the year 2013, the Chandigarh police registered 45 cases of rape, 27 cases were registered in 2012, 27 in the year 2011, 31 cases in 2010 and 29 cases in 2009.
“Now, complaints are recorded verbatim and FIRs are filed simply on the basis of the women's complaint without raising any issue. This has caused significant rise in the number of registered cases but we are not deterred by it,” the police official added.
Meanwhile, the police have also set up a Rape Crisis Intervention Centre to handle the investigation of all rape cases and other girl/child sexual abuse cases more professionally and sensitively, added the police official. A majority of rape cases registered by the UT police have resulted in acquittals in courts as rape victims turn hostile, police said.
The UT police’s average conviction rate in rape cases this year is as low as 25 per cent with sensational rape trials ending in acquittals of the accused. Over 70 per cent of the rape cases decided by courts this year have resulted in acquittals, reveal police figures.