New Delhi:
Despite several new initiatives by Delhi Police to make the capital safer for women, the year 2011 saw a significant increase in the number of rape and molestation cases over the previous year. Shockingly, almost 98 per cent of the offenders were either related or known to the victims.
A total of 568 rape cases were reported in 2011 as against 507 in 2010. However, the incidence of rape per lakh population has shown a steady decline in Delhi, coming down from 4.42 per lakh in 2005 to 3.39 per lakh in 2011.
Addressing the Delhi Police Annual Press Conference here, Commissioner B K Gupta said, in over 550 of the 568 rape cases reported in 2011, the offenders were found to be known to the victims.
"Thus it is seen that these are opportunistic crimes committed in private spaces," Commissioner Gupta said.
He said only 2 per cent of rapes in 2011 were committed by strangers as compared to almost 4 per cent in 2010.
There has also been an increase in cases of molestation of women in 2011 with 653 cases being reported as against 601 in 2010, he said.
To reduce the crime against women and make the city Delhi safer, Gupta said, the Delhi Police would deploy more women personnel on duty and every police station will have a woman personnel to interact with complainants.
He said, women-centric police stations have been established in north and south campuses of the Delhi University while the five districts in the capital have women Deputy Commissioners of Police and Additional Deputy Commissioners of Police. He also said, 460 women constables have been imparted commando training in 2011 with 25 being imparted advanced training by the CRPF.
Gupta said orders have been issued to BPOs and other offices to take steps for safety and security of women while PCR vans have been directed to help stranded women, and surprise checks are being conducted in bus stops, buses, markets and cinema halls.
According to the Commissioner, 63 programmes of self-defence training for women were launched in 2011 in various schools and colleges covering 6,730 students.
He said the Delhi Police has also taken a number of initiatives to protect senior citizens in the capital. A senior citizen cell has been functioning in the Police Headquarters under Crime Branch where such people can register their names.
"The beat staff regularly visits them," he said.