In 2013, the anger that erupted after the abduction and sexual assault of a medical student in Manipal centred on doubts of the capability of the system to ensure speedy justice.
The National Crime Bureau of India (NCRB) report for that year seemed to justify these concerns: a little more than a quarter of rape cases taken up by courts in the country had resulted in conviction; while more than 83 per cent of the cases listed in courts remained pending. The next year, when the evidence for the Manipal incident were being scrutinised in the court, the NCRB’s 2014 report showed that rape convictions continued to remain dismal at 28 per cent, while, pendency at the court level was at 85 per cent. With the Manipal case likely to be taken to higher courts, the battle for the prosecution is far from over. The NCRB’s 2014 report reveals that 65 per cent of the rape accused are eventually let out on bail during the trial stage.
Since 2013, over 2,354 rape cases have been registered in the State, and a majority of these still await even the first verdict.
