New Delhi: Close to 200,000 criminal cases were registered in the National capital showing an approximate 20 percent increase from the last year’s figures.
The figures were revealed during the Annual Press Conference of the Delhi police held at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre who said that registering of criminal cases was a sign of good police as a large amount of cases would not even get registered in the first place either due to police negligence or hesitation on part of the complainant.
The same event also saw a special focus on crimes against women with the Delhi police chief BS Bassi even going to the extent of saying that if constitution allowed it, police officers would be happy to shoot rapists on the spot, DNA reported.
The figures provided by the Delhi police on crime against women may be the reason behind the statement of the Delhi police chief. Police claimed that in the year 2015, around 2,095 rape cases were reported as compared to 2,085 cases in the corresponding period of year 2014.
As many as 5,192 cases of molestation of women were reported during this year. Out of these, 70.15 percent cases were solved.
An even more disturbing trend also seems to have emerged as evident by the data complied by the police, according to which, a total of 43,071 youths were rounded up in 2015 for allegedly committing crimes against women.
“If the constitution allowed it, we police officers would be happy to shoot rapists on the spot,” Bassi declared. “Nowadays, human rights is an important issue, hence we have to act appropriately,” he added.
According to data released by the police department, friends and friends of the family constitute almost 38.94% of those who raped women, 25% of the women are raped by known persons, 16.47% by neighbours, 14.08% by relatives and around 5.49% of the perpetrators include unknown strangers and employers or co-workers.
Agreeing that women’s safety has always been a primary concern, Bassi explained various initiatives undertaken by the Delhi police to help women. A few of the initiatives by the police department included self-defence classes for girls, gender sensitisation for boys in school and training women to drive cabs. Bassi also maintained that self-defence classes in schools must be made compulsory for girls till the age of 15. According to the commissioner, around 13,548 women officers in civil clothing were deployed across the city to ensure women’s safety, and police control rooms have been sensitized.
However, despite the initiatives, the statistics tell a sad story. In the year 2015 (up to December 15, 2015) there were around 2,095 rape cases, 5,192 cases of M.O women, 1,444 cases of eve teasing, kidnapping and abductions rose to 4,160 cases. Deaths related to dowry and those registered under the POCSO act went down to 119 and 82 respectively.
On another note, commenting on the jurisdictional tussle, Bassi was glad that the department did not come under the rule of the state and that they had a fair amount of freedom to operate. “We are fortunate the police department is not under the state prerogative, dealing with the local pressures would be too much and we would not be as effective,” he commented.
Lastly, in response to an audience question about the rise in road rage and the traffic police, Bassi was hopeful about introducing and issuing around 1,000 weapons to traffic officials and stringent conditions on when and how to use them.