MP accounts for quarter of all rapes in country

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MP accounts for quarter of all rapes in country

Almost one-fourth of the rapes in the country take place in Madhya Pradesh

(India). The state has the dubious distinction of topping the list of all states

in vis a vis crimes against women. The latest crime data, released by the

National Crime Record Bureau, a body under the Union Home Ministry, reveals that

of the 15000-odd rapes that were reported from the country in 1999, more than

3500 took place in Madhya Pradesh.

This, when the state government has been boasting about its commitment to

empowerment of women and its efforts to give the fairer sex a fair

representation in panchayats and local-self governing bodies. Fifty percent

of the posts in these bodies are reserved for women. Madhya Pradesh was the

first state in the country to establish " Mahila Thanas (Women Police Station) "

–all – women police stations for investigating crimes against women way back in

the mid-eighties.

Almost every district headquarter now has a " Mahila Thana " . The state has

full-fledged Women's Commission also.

In terms of crimes against women, Madhya Pradesh followed by Uttar Pradesh

(1593 cases), Bihar (1447) and Maharashtra (1320).

A senior police functionary, however, says, that the NCRB data " only showed how

many rape cases were registered by the police in a particular state and to the

actual number of incidents that took place. "

According to him, in many states, the police resists registration of crimes and

in many cases, due to the image of the police, the victims are reluctant to

approach the law-enforces, " Higher crime registration in a state may, in fact

mean that the police in that state is more accessible and has friendlier image,

he argues.

In terms of the number of crimes per one lakh of population, MP is at the third

position. Delhi is at the top by Rajasthan, the report has pointed out.

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Source: Deccan Herald. 3 November, 2001.p.8

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