The overall crimes in MBVV, when compared to the pre-pandemic year, rose from 1,523 cases in 2019 to 2,993 cases in 2021. (Representational) The Mira-Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate, on completion of its first year, released the crime statistics for the last five years on Monday, which showed an alarming rise in cases of crime against women with each passing year.
The commissionerate was formed in October 2020 by combining areas which were earlier under the jurisdiction of Thane Rural police and Palghar Police. Sadanand Date was appointed its first commissioner.
The overall crimes in MBVV, when compared to the pre-pandemic year, rose from 1,523 cases in 2019 to 2,993 cases in 2021.
While addressing the press meet, Date said, “We are ensuring free and fair registration of FIRs, which is one of the factors for rise in crime. We have managed to maintain a detection rate of 99 per cent. Our priority is to maintain this detection rate in the future too and also to increase convictions.”
The statistics show that cases of crime against women rose from 1,194 in 2017 to 1,541 in 2019 to 1,775 in 2021. The cases of rape have gone up from 176 cases in 2017 to 220 cases in 2019 to 292 cases in 2021.
Cases of child rape and molestation registered under the POCSO Act rose from 160 in 2017 to 191 in 2019 to 272 in 2021. Molestation cases rose from 257 in 2017 to 363 in 2019 to 414 cases in 2021.
When questioned about the figures and whether a Nirbhaya squad was needed, as was established by Mumbai Police after the Sakinaka rape and murder in 2021, Date told The Indian Express, “We have a shortage of officers but we have trained officers at each police station, including women officers, for registration of FIRs. We are taking this issue seriously.”
The data also showed that only three of the 364 accused arrested for rape were strangers while in the remaining cases, the 361 accused were acquaintances, family members, friends or neighbours.
The data also showed that cases of kidnapping rose to 502 in 2021 from 468 in 2019.
“We have found that more cases of women being kidnapped are reported from four police stations. We are taking help from a social organisation to find out the reasons for this, following which appropriate measures will be taken to curb these cases,” said Date.
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