Delhi's rising crimes against women irks SC

The Delhi crime file presents a scary picture for women with the national capital registering more than double the number of rape cases this year and a five-time jump in molestation and eve-teasing incidents.

The statistics were placed on Wednesday before the Supreme Court, which expressed its concern at the rising number of crimes and observed that women were not safe even while travelling by bus.

According to the year-wise crime data, as against 590 rape cases registered last year up to October 15, as many as 1,330 such incidents were recorded by the police this year.

Cases of molestation of women and eve-teasing showed phenomenal jump from 526 to 2,844 and 154 to 793 respectively, in the same period. A total of 2,906 cases of kidnapping/abduction were registered in comparison to 1,750 last year.

The instances of cruelty by husband and relatives also surged from 1,605 cases in 2012 to 2,487 cases till October 15. There was a moderate rise in cases of dowry deaths from 119 to 123.

Additional Solicitor General Sidharth Luthra submitted a chart giving the crime figures for the last five years, to a three-judge bench presided over by Justice G S Singhvi. He attributed the rise in crime to more people coming forward to register cases.

The court was hearing a petition filed by a girl who was allegedly beaten up by an Assistant Commissioner of Police during a protest at Gokulpuri police station in east Delhi by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers in June last year following a rape incident.

The bench, also comprising Justices Shiva Kirit Singh and C Nagappan, told senior advocate Shanti Bhushan and Luthra to submit in a sealed envelope names of two persons who could be appointed as independent parties to probe the incident of caning by the police.

The bench, which viewed a compact disc recording of the incident in its  chambers, questioned why, in recent years, people have lost confidence in governments and come out on streets in protest.

“Everyday girls travelling in buses are subjected to molestation. Women continue to suffer. Incidents get highlighted when the people come out to protest,” the bench said.
In his submission, Luthra, appearing for Delhi police, asked should a group of people be allowed to hold a public office to ransom.

He contended that the crowd which demanded a copy of the rape FIR raised derogatory slogans against the police.

Senior counsel Bhushan said the AAP workers were badly beaten up and suspension of the ACP was not sufficient.