Unsafe women in MP: 11 raped every day, 6 gang-raped every week over last year

The written reply was presented by the home minister Bhupendra Singh in response to Congress’ Ram Niwas Rawat’s query on the number of rape cases in MP since June 30, 2016.

Updated on: Mar 1, 2017, 24:43:44 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Neeraj Santoshi

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Eleven women were raped every day and six gang-raped every week in Madhya Pradesh over the last year, figures presented in the state assembly on Monday revealed. More than half of these victims were minors, the data shows.

The fresh data shows that MP continued to be one of the most unsafe places for women in the country even though the number of sexual assault cases came down from 12 rapes each day in 2015 and 14 every day in 2014. (HT File Photo)

The latest figures, presented in the state assembly for last six months, coupled with figures submitted to the House in July last year, show that between February 1, 2016 and mid-February 2017, as many as 4,279 women were raped of which 2,260 were minors. The data also shows that 248 gang-rapes were reported during the period.

The written reply was presented by the home minister Bhupendra Singh in response to Congress’ Ram Niwas Rawat’s query on the number of rape cases in MP since June 30, 2016.

The fresh data shows that MP continued to be one of the most unsafe places for women in the country even though the number of sexual assault cases came down from 12 rapes each day in 2015 and 14 every day in 2014.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2015, released in August last year, revealed that MP reported highest number of rape cases (4,391) in the country. In 2014 also the state reported 5,076 rape cases, accounting for 14% of the total rape cases reported from across the country (according to NCRB 2014 report). In 2013, 4,335 rape cases were reported in the state against 3,425 rape cases in 2012.

Social activists working for the cause of women expressed concern over the rise in sexual violence in the state. There has been 74% rise in rape cases and 630% surge in cases of kidnapping of women between 2006 and 2015, according to the analysis by NGO Vikas Samwad. The analysis is based on cases registered under crime against women in the state between 2006 and 2015 in state crime records bureau.

Women’s rights activist, Shivani Taneja, said, “The actual number of rapes must be much higher. Sexual violence continues against women in the state as there has been no change in the patriarchal mindset of the people,” she said.

>Meanwhile, director general of police, MP, Rishi Kumar Shukla said the number of rape cases in MP was high as women were encouraged to come out and report the crime. “In MP, more cases are registered. So the figures are high. MP is the only state which has started crime against women units in 50 districts of the state, which ensure all cases related to crime against the women are registered and guilty people are punished.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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