Mumbai: The Maharashtra government may have proposed the introduction of legislation on the lines of the DISHA Act in Andhra Pradesh to deal with crime against women, but the Economic Survey paints a bleak picture. The number of atrocities increased in 2019, with crimes such as rape, kidnapping, and domestic abuse seeing a spike.
Crime against women have increased to 37,567 in 2019 against 35,497 in 2018. Of which, rape have risen to 5,412 against 4,974, kidnapping and abduction 8,382 against 6,825, cruelty by husband and relatives 7,564 against 6,862.
However, the the silver lining lies in the reduction in molestation cases to 13,617 from 14,070, dowry death 187 from 200 , sexual harassment 1,033 from 1,127 and other cases 1,172 from 1,239.
The Economic Survey's findings are in line with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2018. Maharashtra stood second when it came to crimes against women across the country with 35,497 cases. The state had recorded 31,979 crimes against women in 2017, and 31,388 in 2016. The rate of crimes against women – number of cases reported per 1 lakh people – was 60.9 in 2018 in Maharashtra, compared to 58.8 across the country.
The state recorded 6,135 cases involving 6,282 girls under the Protection of Children from Sexual Violence Act.
Further, the Economic Survey data comes against the backdrop of a 27 year lecturer's recent death. She was set ablaze by a stalker in Maharashtra's Wardha district in the first week of February.
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has announced in the state legislature that the government is taking strong steps to curb atrocities against women. The Thackeray government is mulling a bill in Maharashtra similar to the Andhra Pradesh government's Disha Act.
Meanwhile, crimes against children have gone down, from 15,681 in 2017 and 15,544 in 2018 to 14,586 in 2019.
