Mumbai 2nd in crimes against women for second year in a row : NCRB

For the second year in a row, Mumbai stood second on the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) list of crimes against women (5,453) in 18 cites in the country in 2017. Delhi topped the list with 11,542 cases. The report, ‘Crime in India 2017’, was released on Monday.

Mumbai saw 287 cases of rape, 1,713 of molestation and one of kidnapping with murder. It also reported 35 cases of dowry harassment deaths and 33 cases of abetment to suicide of women were filed. The city also recorded 3,790 cases of crimes against children in 2017.

In 2016, there were 712 cases of rapes, 1,142 kidnappings and 2,183 molestation cases registered in the city. The 2016 report also shows 12 cases of dowry harassment deaths and 27 cases of abetment to suicide. There were also 558 cases recorded where women had been harassed and assaulted by their husbands. Cybercrime against women also increased in 2017, with 12 cases registered under the Information Technology (IT) Act against people publishing material on the Internet to defame or blackmail women.

Mumbai also fared poorly in terms of children’s safety with 3,790 cases of crimes against children recorded in 2017, compared to 3,400 cases in 2016. Delhi tops the list with 6,844 cases in 2017.

According to the data, 14 children were murdered, 2,074 were kidnapped, and 11 were abandoned by their parents in Mumbai in 2017. Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Mumbai saw 1,054 cases of violent crimes against children and eight cases of unnatural sex. In 2017, 4,543 cases of crimes against children were up for trial in court, compared to 4,748 cases in 2016. By the end of 2016, 869 cases were pending.

Under the Special and Local Laws, Mumbai registered 1,484 cases compared to 1,627 cases in Delhi.

Flavia Agnes, women’s rights lawyer, said that Mumbai ranks second in crime against women and children because, compared to other cities of India, as more cases are being registered now. “In other cities too, the crime rate is high, however, most cases do not get registered. In Mumbai, parents and women are coming out more now to lodge complaints,” said Agnes.

PK Jain, former IPS officer, toed similar lines and said, “As compared to other cities, Mumbai is sensitive about crime against women and children.”