Bhopal: City Sees Spike In Sexual Violence Cases; 381 Cases Registered So Far This Year

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The incidents of rape and sexual assault on women in the city have increased year after year. Surprisingly, such incidents have increased after the formation of the police commissionerate system in the city, which had promised a crime-free city and swift justice.

The data sourced from the city police commissionerate system revealed that 330 incidents of rape were reported in Bhopal in 2021, which rose to 456 in 2022. The tally surged to 523 in 2023 and within the first eight months of 2024, the count has reached 381.

This rate of the rape incidents reported this year has seen a 10 per cent surge as compared to the bygone year. The incidents have left scars on the objective of the current commissioner of police (CP) of Bhopal, Harinarayanachari Mishra, who, after taking over the city police in 2023, had promised to curb the rising rate of crimes against women. Notably, among the cases reported this year, almost 30 per cent pertain to sexual assault and rapes with minor girls.

Cases emerging from urban areas

Sources at the police commissionerate system told Free Press that earlier, the rural areas of Bhopal used to top the list of incidents of rape, but the landscape has changed now. A majority of the cases are coming to light from urban areas, including MP Nagar, Arera Colony, Kolar, Chunabhatti, Habibganj, Piplani and Misrod.

‘Increase in awareness about reporting incidents’

When Free Press sought the stance of additional commissioner of police (Law and order/Crime), Awadhesh Goswami, he said the awareness regarding the reporting of rape incidents has increased among the people, which has led to a rise in the number of registered rape FIRs.