New Delhi: The crime graph in the national capital went north by more than 40 per cent in 2013 with offences against women like molestation rising by an alarming 412 per cent and rape by 129 per cent.
According to Delhi Police, the total number of cases rose from 51,479 in 2012 to 73,958 cases in 2013 registering an increase of 43.67 per cent. 1559 cases of rape were registered in 2013 against 680 in 2012, a hike of 129.26 per cent. As many as 3347 cases of molestation were also reported in the past year as against 653 in 2013, a rise of 412.56 per cent.
The number of street crimes also registered a steep climb with incidents of chain snatching going up by 142.09 per cent. In 2013, 3319 cases of snatching were registered in Delhi as against 1371 in 2012.
However, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi attributed the rise in the crime statistics to the force’s policy that all crime which “deserve” to be registered are reported and people are not turned away from police stations.
“Crime statistics are just statistics, if we manipulate them, it would be injustice to the victims of crime. So our intention here is clear, registration is as per the crime on the street. This probably why you are seeing phenomenal increases in some heads, and I hope that any such crime which deserves to be registered will not go unreported,” he said in the annual press conference of Delhi Police.
“So that we can be totally aware of the health of crime in the city and we can prepare better strategies in fighting it. Criminals can be brought to book and punished,” he said.
