Top brass of Telangana police claimed recently that overall rate of crime against women in 2014 in the State declined, albeit marginally. Contrary to this claim, the number of rape cases were high the previous year (till November end) compared to the corresponding period in 2013.
Nalgonda district has the dubious distinction of recording the highest number of rapes cases. At the year-end press conference held recently, DGP Anurag Sharma said that crime against women had come down by 5.44 per cent.
From 12,472 cases in 2013 (November end), the figures dropped to 12,472 in the same period in 2014. However, not all kinds of crimes against women dipped. Total rape cases in the State has gone up from 781 in 2013 to 893 in 2014, a 14.34 per cent rise.
Among all the 12 police units in Telangana, Nalgonda recorded the highest increase in rape cases. From 69 cases till November end in 2013, the figures for the corresponding period in 2014 rose to 114 in Nalgonda. It was followed by Mahabubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Karimnagar, Hyderabad and Cyberabad Commissionerates and Khammam.
“There are several reasons for the rise in rape cases in Nalgonda as many were related to elopements involving minors,” a police officer explained. Even if a minor was sexually abused, a rape case had to be registered as per the law. Rape laws were also invoked in cases of extra-marital relationships. Though both parties involved in a rape case approached the police seeking compromise, rape cases were registered as the content of the complaint attracted that section of the law,” said Nalgonda police.
“But isn’t that how police function in every district or are they resorting to burking of crime,” a retired police officer questioned.
Cases of cheating and criminal breach of trust went up by 6.8 per cent in Telangana in 2014 compared to the previous year. But not all police units witnessed similar rise. These cases shot up by 44 per cent in Khammam from 548 in 2013 to 794 in 2014. Medak and Karimnagar districts were at second and third places with an increase of 26 per cent and six per cent, respectively.
Karimnagar topped the list of murders and murders for gain.
