Capital's crime rate does not go down

1,500 rape cases this year compared to 706 last year; police score some successes

Following widespread criticism and demonstrations over the December 16 gang rape case, the government amended laws and set up fast-track courts this year, but crime in the capital was again on the rising trajectory.

The year witnessed over 1,500 rape cases compared to 706 in 2012 and 572 in 2011. A whopping 400 per cent increase in molestation cases and 600 per cent increase in eve-teasing cases were also reported till November.

Molestation cases shot up to 3,200 compared to 727 in 2012 and 657 in 2011, while 850 cases of eve-teasing were registered compared to 125 in 2012.

The increase was witnessed despite Delhi Police announcing that the force’s focus this year was entirely on safety of women and announcement of several new measures with zero tolerance for such incidents. But police also attribute much of the rise to increased reporting of cases at police stations – rather than an increase in the crime itself.

Among the many rape accused this year was Bharatiya Janata Party Delhi Pradesh Working Committee member Yogesh Attrey. He had also contested the Delhi assembly elections in 2008 and was arrested in outer Delhi’s Rohini in January.

In January, the then Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar had also termed the 23-year-old paramedical student’s death as a turning point in the force’s history. “This case has given a new direction to the criminal justice system of India and our focus will be on women’s safety,” he had said.

Sending a strong message to criminals, the first of the five approved fast-track courts was also inaugurated on January 2 by the then Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir in south Delhi’s Saket court complex. Five days after the December 16 gang rape victim’s death, on January 3, police filed charges against the five adult accused for rape, murder, kidnapping, destruction of evidence and attempt to murder of the woman’s male friend.

The prosecution presented evidence including witness statements, the victim’s statement, fingerprints, DNA testing and dental modelling. On September 10, the four accused – Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Akshay Thakur and Pawan Gupta – were found guilty of rape, murder, unnatural offences and destruction of evidence. They were sentenced to death by hanging on September 13.

Judge Yogesh Khanna rejected pleas for a lesser sentence saying the case had “shocked the collective conscience of India” and that “courts cannot turn a blind eye to such crimes”.

Treatment of domestic help also came into focus in 2013. Women belonging to upper middle class were arrested for torturing maids. Three of them were Vandana Dhir, 48, Bira Thoibi, 23, and Jagriti Singh, 36. Jagriti topped the list with allegations of beating her 35-year-old maid to death, while the other two were accused of causing serious injury. They were also accused of keeping minors as domestic help.

Dhir worked as the corporate communications director for India and south Asia at French engineering giant Alstom, Thoibi was an air hostess with Air India and Jagriti a senior dental surgeon at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Jagriti’s husband – Bahujan Samaj Party MP Dhananjay Singh – also landed in jail as the domestic help was found dead in his South Avenue government flat.

Police action

While dealing with notorious criminals, most wanted criminal Neetu Dabodia was shot dead by Delhi Police in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj in October, but his associate Vikram Paras escaped from police custody this week.

A spot-fixing and betting racket was also unearthed in the Indian Premier League when three cricketers – Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – were arrested on charges of spot-fixing. The three represented Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. In a separate case, Mumbai Police arrested Vindu Dara Singh and Gurunath Meiyappan for betting and having links with bookies.

Police said Sreesanth and Chavan confessed to being involved in spot-fixing. Chandila had tried to get other players, including Chavan, involved under direction of the bookies. Police had been taping phone calls since April.

There were reports that Delhi Police and Mumbai Police were in an unfriendly competition between each other and there was lack of coordination between them. But these reports were later dismissed by Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil, saying the two were cooperating with each other to uncover the truth.