indiatimes.com
Crimes against women such as rape and molestation shot up between 2008 and 2012, while cases of murder dipped, according to a white paper released by the NGO Praja Foundation. If the last four years are taken into consideration, vehicle thefts have gone up substantially as well.
Activists say that in most instances of crime against women, the perpetrators are acquainted with the victim. "Few cases of rape or molestation are committed by complete strangers. In a majority of cases, it has been observed that the accused is a parent, relative, neighbour or a man who made false promises of marriage to the victim," said a women's rights activist. "When penal action isn't taken against a sex offender immediately, it emboldens him."According to data with Praja, north central Mumbai (Vile Parle-Bandra-Kurla) had the highest number of rape cases in 2008 and 2012. In 2009, this was the case with south central Mumbai (Chembur-Sion Koliwada-Mahim) and in 2010, south Mumbai (Worli-Byculla-Colaba-Malabar Hill).
The Amboli molestation case of October 2011, where Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez were murdered when they tried to protect their female friends from harassment, drew strong reactions from across the globe. But a special squad to curb eve-teasing, which was launched with much fanfare in the west region, has lost steam.
This August, the Bombay high court held that courts should not show any leniency when deciding cases where a woman's modesty was outraged and action against those found guilty should serve as a deterrent to others. The high court was hearing an appeal filed by Namdeo Agarkar against the verdict of a special judge, who sentenced him to six months in jail and levied a fine for trespassing into a woman's home and trying to force himself on her.
Commenting on Praja's statistics, an IPS officer said Mumbai police's crime branch was well-equipped with special units for the protection of minors, women and senior citizens.
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