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CRIMES

seen a much longer data collec- increase of 15.56 per cent over 2016 fig- whereas the number was 103 during
tion period (it began in August 2018 ures. In 2016, the state had ranked sixth. the corresponding period last year.
and continued till July 2019). For the Nagaland was the safest for women. According to police data, the first
2016 report, this period was January- Despite being a small state, Haryana in nine months saw a 22.3 per cent rise
February 2017 to September 2017. The 2017 reported the fourth highest num- in rape cases in the city. Sexual crimes
latest NCRB report said that greater ber of gang rapes at 159. Uttar Pradesh against children rose by 10.4 per cent
detailing was ensured with respect to reported the highest number of gang while cases of sexual harassment and
the Protection of Children from Sexual rapes at 676. In 2016 also, Haryana was molestation fell by 17.8 per cent. The
Offences (POCSO) Act, the Scheduled the fourth worst with 191 gang rapes. number of gang rape cases during
Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Preven- the period remained the same. While
tion of Atrocities) Act and the Preven- adly with 14 rape cases a month, sexual crime cases against children
tion of Corruption Act. Gurugram lives up to its noto- surged to 138 till September, against
In 2017, Haryana recorded 1,072 S riety when it comes to crime 125 last year, the number of gang rape
murders and 1,099 rapes. The state against women. This year, the city has cases remains the same at eight.
registered 2,408 cases of rioting, 26,234 recorded 126 rape cases till September In contrast, as many as 101 cases of
molestation and sexual harass-
ment have been registered in
the first nine months, while the
number was 123 last year. Child
abduction cases have also fallen
to 16, against last year’s 35. The
significant rise in the crime rate
against women is a grim remind-
er to how things have become
worse as also to the grim and
arduous battle still ahead towards
making the country a safe place
for its women.
The government statistics are
alarming: from just under 25,000
rape cases reported to the police
in 2012, they rose to more than
38,000 in 2016. In 2017, on an av-
erage, more than 90 rapes a day
were reported. Wrapped in these
figures is the encouraging story
of how more and more women
are coming out and gathering
the courage to call out the
criminals who have abused and
violated them.
thefts, 1,277 robberies, 196 dacoities, Haryana ranks third As per the National Crime Records
4,169 cases of crime against children Bureau data, Haryana had 191 cases of
and 2,200 cases under Narcotic Drugs — next only to Kerala gang-rape in 2016, the highest among
and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and Delhi — as regards all states. While the national aver-
Act. In 2016, Haryana ranked fifth on age for gang-rapes was 0.3, it was 1.5
the crime rate table. crime rate across for Haryana. In the state, Gurugram
As regards crime against women, earned the notoriety of seeing the
Haryana ranked fifth in the country all states and union maximum number of rape and murder
with 88.7 such cases per lakh of wom- territories, according cases in the last five years. Compared
en population. Assam (143.3), Delhi to last year, the Millennial City this year
(133.3), Telangana (94.7) and Odisha to the latest report registered a shameful 22.3 per cent rise
(94.5) ranked ahead of Haryana on the of the National Crime in rape cases in the first nine months.
list. In 2017, Haryana reported 11,370
cases of crime against women — an Records Bureau LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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