Bhubaneswar: Odisha has earned the notoriety of having seen the highest number of cases of molestation India in 2020, a year that saw the country and states in lockdown for several months due to an unprecedented COVID pandemic.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRBAccording to the report, a total of 12,605 molestation cases (Section 354 of IPC) were registered in the state last year. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh stood second and third with 9,965 and 9,864 cases respectively.
Odisha was second only to Uttar Pradesh in 2019 with 11,318 molestation cases in the country, which registered 12,157 cases that year.
The NCRB report said that crimes against women in the state increased by almost 10% from 2019 to last year. In 2019, 23,183 cases related to crime against women were registered, while in 2020 this figure increased to 25,489. At 112.9 crimes per 1 lakh population, the crime rate against women in Odisha is second only to Assam where it stands at 154.3.
When asked about the reason for such an alarming rise in such cases, the police said that almost all types of crimes against women started with the intention of outraging their modesty. “We usually find mention of molestation in FIRs related to every assault or crime against women. If a woman’s main allegation against someone is rape, she also mentions other charges including molestation or assault,” said a police officer. Police further said that in other states, women victims would not have mentioned molestation as an allegation in the FIR if their main allegation was something else.
Women activists expressed serious concern over the increase in crime against women. “The police have failed to create a safe environment for women. They claim to launch only women-friendly initiatives. In fact, anti-social people have no fear of police,” said Swarnalata Tripathi, an activist.
However, the police said that in 96% of rape and molestation cases, the accused are known to the victims. “Increase in registration of cases does not mean that there has been an increase in the particular offence. It is good to see women coming forward to lodge complaints. We took prompt action in all cases,” said another police officer.
The NCRB’s finding portrayed court disposal of cases involving crimes against women in a bad light. The conviction rate for such cases stood at 9.2% in 2020, while most other states did well with conviction rates between 30% and 80%.
According to NCRB data, rape cases declined to 1,211 last year as against 1,382 in 2019. Last year, the state ranked fifth with 560 cases related to cyber crimes against women.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRBAccording to the report, a total of 12,605 molestation cases (Section 354 of IPC) were registered in the state last year. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh stood second and third with 9,965 and 9,864 cases respectively.
Odisha was second only to Uttar Pradesh in 2019 with 11,318 molestation cases in the country, which registered 12,157 cases that year.
The NCRB report said that crimes against women in the state increased by almost 10% from 2019 to last year. In 2019, 23,183 cases related to crime against women were registered, while in 2020 this figure increased to 25,489. At 112.9 crimes per 1 lakh population, the crime rate against women in Odisha is second only to Assam where it stands at 154.3.
When asked about the reason for such an alarming rise in such cases, the police said that almost all types of crimes against women started with the intention of outraging their modesty. “We usually find mention of molestation in FIRs related to every assault or crime against women. If a woman’s main allegation against someone is rape, she also mentions other charges including molestation or assault,” said a police officer. Police further said that in other states, women victims would not have mentioned molestation as an allegation in the FIR if their main allegation was something else.
Women activists expressed serious concern over the increase in crime against women. “The police have failed to create a safe environment for women. They claim to launch only women-friendly initiatives. In fact, anti-social people have no fear of police,” said Swarnalata Tripathi, an activist.
However, the police said that in 96% of rape and molestation cases, the accused are known to the victims. “Increase in registration of cases does not mean that there has been an increase in the particular offence. It is good to see women coming forward to lodge complaints. We took prompt action in all cases,” said another police officer.
The NCRB’s finding portrayed court disposal of cases involving crimes against women in a bad light. The conviction rate for such cases stood at 9.2% in 2020, while most other states did well with conviction rates between 30% and 80%.
According to NCRB data, rape cases declined to 1,211 last year as against 1,382 in 2019. Last year, the state ranked fifth with 560 cases related to cyber crimes against women.
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