Bhubaneswar: Amid nationwide concern over the safety of women, Odisha registered 17.9% rise in rape cases in 2019 compared to 2018, according to a written reply by minister of state for home Dibya Shankar Mishra in the assembly here on Monday.
Mishra, while replying to a question from BJD’s Satyabadi MLA Umakant Samantray, said 2,950 rape cases were registered in 2019.
Police registered 2,502 rape cases in 2018, Mishra’s reply stated.
Police sources said most of the rape offences were unpreventable as the accused were close acquaintances of the survivors. “We found that at least 92% of the rape survivors were known to the accused. The accused included friends, relatives and neighbours of the survivors,” a senior police officer said.
The officer said police promptly took action after receiving the complaints. “We would have been blamed had we suppressed such complaints. Post-Nirbhaya incident, registration of cases relating to crime against women increased across the country. Women, who some years ago were reluctant to report the matters to police, have now shown courage and approached police. We have made prompt arrests and filed chargesheets in time. Efforts are being made to improve the conviction rate,” the officer said.
Data shared by Mishra in the assembly also showed increase in some other forms of crime against women.
Molestation cases increased to 6,848 in 2019 as against 5,875 in 2018. Incidents of stalking of women rose to 351 in 2019 from 281 cases reported in 2018. Trafficking of women increased alarmingly by 129 % in the state last year. While 51 women were trafficked in 2018, the number went up to 117 in 2019. Kidnapping of women also shot up to 4,089 cases in 2019 from 3,424 cases in 2018.
Bhubaneswar witnessed nearly 14% rise in overall registration of criminal cases last year compared to 2018.
While 7,219 criminal cases were registered in Bhubaneswar in 2018, the figure went up to 8,229 in 2019. Bhubaneswar witnessed rise in rapes, dacoities, thefts, stalkings, eve-teasing and abduction of women last year.
Mishra, while replying to a question from BJD’s Satyabadi MLA Umakant Samantray, said 2,950 rape cases were registered in 2019.
Police registered 2,502 rape cases in 2018, Mishra’s reply stated.
Police sources said most of the rape offences were unpreventable as the accused were close acquaintances of the survivors. “We found that at least 92% of the rape survivors were known to the accused. The accused included friends, relatives and neighbours of the survivors,” a senior police officer said.
The officer said police promptly took action after receiving the complaints. “We would have been blamed had we suppressed such complaints. Post-Nirbhaya incident, registration of cases relating to crime against women increased across the country. Women, who some years ago were reluctant to report the matters to police, have now shown courage and approached police. We have made prompt arrests and filed chargesheets in time. Efforts are being made to improve the conviction rate,” the officer said.
Data shared by Mishra in the assembly also showed increase in some other forms of crime against women.
Molestation cases increased to 6,848 in 2019 as against 5,875 in 2018. Incidents of stalking of women rose to 351 in 2019 from 281 cases reported in 2018. Trafficking of women increased alarmingly by 129 % in the state last year. While 51 women were trafficked in 2018, the number went up to 117 in 2019. Kidnapping of women also shot up to 4,089 cases in 2019 from 3,424 cases in 2018.
Bhubaneswar witnessed nearly 14% rise in overall registration of criminal cases last year compared to 2018.
While 7,219 criminal cases were registered in Bhubaneswar in 2018, the figure went up to 8,229 in 2019. Bhubaneswar witnessed rise in rapes, dacoities, thefts, stalkings, eve-teasing and abduction of women last year.
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