Women are credited for having played a decisive role in various movements, including the one which led to the creation of Uttarakhand State. However, in recent years, registered cases of serious crimes against women, including rape, molestation and marital rape cases, have increased in the State, especially in the plain districts. The police acknowledge that there is a rise in crime against women but they also state that in many of the cases, allegations of rape and molestation are found to be false in police investigation.
The number of such cases registered has increased considerably from 2016 to July 31, 2018. As per the data from the police headquarters, a total of 187 rape cases were registered in the year 2016, 236 in the year 2017 and 306 cases till July 31 in 2018. In 2016, 169 cases of molestation were registered, which rose to 227 cases in 2017 and 311 cases were registered in the first seven months of the current year. Similarly, in 2016, 154 cases of marital rape were registered, with such cases showing a slight drop to 133 in 2017 to rise again to 161 cases till July 31, 2018. The majority of cases registered are from Dehradun, Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar.
According to police data, in the year 2016, 75 cases of rape were registered in the Kumaon region and 112 cases were registered in the Garhwal region. In 2017, 100 rape cases were registered in Kumaon and 136 in Garhwal.
In 2018 (till July 31), 125 rape cases were registered in Kumaon and 181 were registered in Garhwal. The maximum cases were registered in Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar districts.
When it comes to crimes like molestation, during 2016, 88 cases were registered in Kumaon and 81 in Garhwal region. The numbers increased in 2017, to 107 cases of molestation registered in Kumaon and 119 cases in the Garhwal region. In the first seven months of 2018, 120 molestation cases were registered in Kumaon and 190 in Garhwal region. Here again, the majority of the cases are from Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Dehradun districts.
Further, during 2016, 76 cases of marital rape were registered in Kumaon and 78 in Garhwal. In 2017, 59 such cases were registered in Kumaon region and 74 in the Garhwal region. In the first seven months of 2018, 69 such cases were registered in Kumaon and 90 in the Garhwal region. In such cases too, the maximum instances were from the plain districts of Haridwar, Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar.
In the other crimes against women like murder, in the year 2016, a total of 32 cases were registered. These rose to 34 cases in 2017 and 28 cases in the first seven months of 2018. The maximum cases were from Haridwar and Dehradun.
Dowry murder cases in the year 2016 were 34, which dropped marginally to 32 in 2017 to rise considerably in 37 during the first seven months of 2018.
The maximum cases were from Haridwar and Nainital districts. Surprisingly, registered cases of comparatively ‘minor’ crimes against women like eve teasing have remained low compared to the serious crimes. The registered cases of eve teasing in the year 2016 from all over the State were 23, 18 in the year 2017 and 46 in the first seven months of 2018 from across the State.
Talking to The Pioneer, Additional Director General of police (ADGP) Ashok Kumar said, “The crimes against women are increasing but the rise in crime is not really gender specific. Further, in about 50 per cent of the cases of alleged rape, we find the allegations to be false after thorough police investigation.
For example, those living in a live-in relationship also register cases of rape or molestation later on. At the time, the actions might be undertaken with mutual consent but we go by the system according to which even such complaints are registered.”
The ADGP further said, “From our side, we are trying our best to do a thorough investigation in every case. I believe that increased awareness, especially among the women, can help tackle the increasing gender crimes.”