Amid a high rate of registration of rape cases in Punjab, numbering 63 in December alone, a top state police official today said many sexual harassment cases are lodged due to “ill will, illicit relations and false promises to marry.” Terming some of the sexual harassment complaints pouring in at police stations as “frivolous”, Punjab ADGP (Crime) Jasminder Singh said, “Most of these cases are a result of various other reasons, including ill will, illicit relations and false promises to marry.” Though admitting that there had been “upsurge” in number of complaints related to gender offences in the recent past, Singh in a press conference here said police had found ten cases as false after investigations. According to a data presented by him, as many as 63 rape cases were reported in Punjab in a single month of December, making it a daily average of two rape incidents. Singh quoting from the data said that a maximum six cases each were reported in December in districts of Ferozepur, Amritsar and Bathinda. Cautioning those indulging in “frivolous” complaints, he said that police will take appropriate action against these complainants as per relevant sections of the IPC. He said police have taken a number of measures to check gender related offences since past fortnight. PTI
