‘Posh South Delhi sees most molestation cases’

New Delhi: Crime againts women in Delhi has been consistently high and the city’s posh South Delhi localities tops the chart in cases related to molestation. More than 40 per cent of the total cases of rape are registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in 2016 and adding to this there is an acute shortage in the police, a report has claimed. One in every 14 persons in Delhi over the age of 18 has faced crime and one in three persons goes without it reporting to the police, it added. Delhi’s Member of Parliament raised only two women related issues from 2016 to 2017, states the report.

A comprehensive report issued by Praja Foundation on crime graph in Delhi launched its crime white paper on Thursday. The data contains the status of crime and policing. It reads, 50 per cent of the people do not feel secure. Almost 57 per cent are afraid while travelling. Of these, 63 per cent expressed apprehensions about travelling in northeast Delhi, according to the white paper.

According to the information given after an Right to Information (RTI), a total of 3,969 cases were registered against molestation of women last year. Out of total number of cases registered under kidnapping, 60 per cent were of women. The report included the data point on how safe do citizens feel in national capital. The data was collected through a survey which inclded around 25,000 households. Of the total 24,301 survey participants in Delhi, 15 per cent faced incidents of theft, murder, etc. Of the 43 per cent who informed the police, 76 per cent were dissatisfied with the response.

One can clearly draw an observation between the feeling of women and children safety to the registration of cases as out of the total 2,181 of rape case registered in 2016, 44.80 per cent are registered under POCSO Act in 2016, which means around six cases per day. Adding to this, Rahul Dev, senior journalist, said, “There can be a direct impact when it comes to this particular issue by creating and sustaining an awareness campaign against sexual abuse of the children with all the stakeholders i.e. children, parents, schools and colleges.”

Molestation cases has increased in seven districts of Delhi as compared to 2015 while rape cases increased in five districts from 2015 to 2016.

Of the total number of kidnapping and abduction cases registered, more than 50 per cent of the kidnapping were of women. In 2016, out of total cases 75 per cent were cases of women abduction. Similarly, in 2016, 60 per cent of the kidnapping cases were of women. Anjan Ghosh, senior vice-president, Hansa Research, said, “To give you the data in a nutshell, it is estimated that of every one of three persons who have faced crime has not reported it to the authorities.”