In Haryana, cases of rape double, outraging modesty rise 6 times in 8 yrs

Times of India: Karnal: Friday, May 31, 2019.

Crime against women, be it sexual assault or harassment, is on the rise in Haryana, according to information provided under the RTI Act. While 720 rape cases were reported in the state between January 1 and December 31, 2010, the number rose to 1,666 for corresponding period in 2018.

Cases registered under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with outraging modesty of a woman, rose from 476 in 2010 to 3,029 in 2018 a six-time rise in last eight years.

Haryana director general of police (DGP) Manoj Yadava cited the rise in the number of such cases to rising awareness among women. “They are approaching the police fearlessly. Therefore, these types of cases are coming to light,” he said.

Dowry death cases have come down in the state. In 2010, 284 dowry death cases were registered in the state. This fell to 210 in 2018.

The data has been provided to Rajesh Sharma, an RTI activist, by the Haryana state crime bureau, which is headquartered in Madhuban, Karnal.

The RTI reply brought out that 9,657 rape cases and 14,233 cases of outraging the modesty of a woman were registered between January 1, 2010, and March 31, 2019.

In the first three months of 2019, 329 rape cases were reported to the police.

Over the years, the number of rape cases rose steadily, 720 were registered in 2010, 773 in 2011, 668 in 2012, 971 in 2013, 1,174 in 2014, 1,070 in 2015, 1,187 in 2016, 1,099 in 2017, 1,666 in 2018 and 329 from January 1, 2019, to March 31, 2019.

There was also an increase in cases of outgraging modesty of a woman. In all, 476 such cases were reported in 2010, 474 in 2011, 525 in 2012, 1,660 in 2013, 1,688 in 2014, 1,886 in 2015, 1,860 in 2016, 2,031 in 2017, 3,039 in 2018, and 584 between January 1, 2019, and March 31, 2019.

Sharma said the government should publicize laws and educate woman and girls, particularly in rural area, so that they could “protect themselves or handle such unpleasant situations.

ADGP, law and order, Navdeep Singh Virk said the presence of women cops and all women police station have helped spread awareness among women, which had led to increase in the number of cases of crime against them being reported. “Moreover, we have standing instructions to convert all complaints of crime against women into cases, this has also a major reason behind the case count going up,” he said.