*Capital cities becoming more unsafe for fairer sex
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 26: “Time to be ashamed”. These words are enough to briefly summarize the prevailing situation vis-à-vis crime against the womenfolk in Jammu and Kashmir. What to talk of other parts of the State, even the capital cities have become unsafe for the fairer sex with continuous rise in different nature of offences being committed against the women and girls.
This can be gauged from the official data of the Home Department, which indicates that despite many debates, discussions and so-called stringent laws there is no deterrent effect and crime against the womenfolk is increasing with every passing year.
As per the data, a total of 3539 cases of crime against women were reported from different parts of Jammu and Kashmir during the year 2015, which is more as compared to cases registered in 2014. During last year, 312 cases of rape and 1097 cases of kidnapping of women and girls were reported in Jammu and Kashmir. There was sharp rise in the cases of kidnapping in 2015 as in 2014 only 826 cases came to the notice of the police. A total of 1342 cases of molestation, 215 cases of eve teasing, 6 dowry deaths, 166 cases of abetment to suicide, 400 cases of cruelty by husband etc were also reported during the year 2015.
The situation is worst in Jammu and Srinagar as compared to other districts of the State as 516 cases of different nature of crime were reported from Jammu and 487 cases from Srinagar. During 2014, 464 cases of crime against women were reported in Jammu and 434 cases in Srinagar but during 2015 the figures increased considerably. This indicates that even districts of capital cities are not safe for the fairer sex and perpetrators of crime have no fear of law.
During 2015, Anantnag was at third place with 316 cases of crime against women followed by Baramulla with 220 cases and Rajouri with 218 cases. Leh and Kargil are the only districts in Jammu and Kashmir where womenfolk is safe and secure as compared to other districts of the State. During 2014, 9 cases were reported from Leh and 5 from Kargil and the figures decreased to 7 cases in Leh and 4 cases in Kargil during 2015.
While crime against women was on increasing side during 2015, the general crime was on lower side during the previous year. As per the data, during the year 2015, 25269 cases were registered under various heads of general crime as against 25390 cases during the corresponding year 2014 in the State.
“This data is an enough indicator for taking some extra-ordinary measures so that the fairer sex feels comfortable in the society and doesn’t fall easy prey to the perpetrators of the crime”, observers said, adding “if immediate steps are not initiated to bring down the graph of crime against women the situation may assume alarming proportion in the years to come and that would be a big blot on the State and on all those who are supposed to ensure comfortable atmosphere to the fairer sex”.
Pointing towards Cabinet decision to open four new Women Police Stations, they said, “some more measures are required to be taken so that perpetrators of crime are taken to task”, adding “steps must also be taken to ensure speedy disposal of the cases involving crime against women by the courts so that guilty are punished in a time-bound manner”.
“Timely punishment would act as deterrent”, they said, adding “all those private agencies like NGOs and Government Departments which are working for the betterment of womenfolk should generate mass awareness in the society on regular basis so that civil society too comes forward to remove the tag of disgrace”.
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