The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures of violence and atrocities against women in Rajasthan are scary as the state has once again been ranked first in the country in rape cases in 2021 leaving behind Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Assam.
A total of 6,337 rape cases have been reported in Rajasthan in the year 2021 which is one thousand more than in the year 2020. According to the NCRB, the maximum number of rape cases in Rajasthan were reported in the years 2020 and 2021. After Rajasthan, it is Madhya Pradesh with 2,339 cases in the year 2020 and 2,947 in 2021. Unfortunately, Rajasthan has also been on the top in cases of violence against women for the last three years.
Though the police have claimed that the government has implemented the policy of uninterrupted registration of crime. As a result, cases related to atrocities on women are being registered easily in police stations and the number of cases registered through the courts is continuously decreasing.
In the year 2017, 33.4 per cent of cases related to rape were registered through courts which have gone down to 16.7 per cent of cases registered in the year 2021. Whereas in the year 2022 till June, there was a further decrease in the cases registered through the court and only 10.7 per cent.
The police have also claimed special emphasis on timely disposal of cases related to atrocities on women. As per Rajasthan Police, from the year 2022, till June, the average time taken in the investigation of rape cases has come down to 57 days, which was 435 days in the year 2017.
Reacting to the figures of the NCRB, the deputy leader of the opposition Rajendra Rathore said, "Rajasthan has once again ranked first in violence against women. The state has become most unsafe for women under the Jungalraj of Congress and criminals are committing heinous crimes fearlessly."
Accused and victim are known in most cases:
Rajasthan Police Crime Branch analyzed the data of cases of rape and the POCSO Act and it was revealed that in 90 per cent of the rape cases the accused and the victim were known to each other.
In 47 per cent of the cases, the accused and the victim were neighbours or residents of the same village or the colony. The analysis of the data also revealed that out of the total victims, 23 per cent were illiterate and up to 35 per cent had received primary education, while 70 per cent of the accused were found to be in the age group of 18 to 30 years.
The number of less-educated persons was also found to be very high among the accused. Of the total accused, 12 per cent of the accused were illiterate and 33 per cent had received primary education. A maximum of 41 per cent of the accused belonged to the working class. 4 per cent of the accused were found unemployed.
