Rape, assault cases in Hyderabad rising, NCRB shows disturbing trend

Hyderabad: According to recent statistics from the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2016 data, Hyderabad ranks second in India with 1,311 cases reported against cruelty towards women by husbands or relatives, after Delhi which had reported 3,645 incidents.

Rape cases, sexual assault cases with an intent to outrage women’s modesty are reportedly rising in Hyderabad the bureau report revealed on Thursday.

D Kavitha, ACP, SHE Teams Hyderabad speaking on the report said, “There has been a rise in such cases as more women are coming into the open about their plight after SHE Teams launched Bharosa centre in May 2016. SHE Team is conducting awareness programmes, offering help and protection to harassed women. This is a positive change we have observed.”

She says that cases of domestic violence in Hyderabad have reached 2,300 since the last year and now “We get several domestic violence cases, and this is after we conducted initiatives to keep the streets and homes safe for women.”

Unfortunately Hyderabad recorded 170 rape cases according to the NCRB data, which further went up to 1,278 cases being reported in 2016 in overall Telangana.

“The data must have included other commissionerates as well, because since May 2016 till date, we have received almost 63 rape cases from the city. We are taking steps to nip in the bud such crimes by catching offenders who stalk or sexually harass women,” Kavitha said.

Though NCRB data states Telangana state is among the top states across India in crime against women, ACP Kavita claims that there was a 12% reduction in overall crime against women in 2017 as compared to previous year.

Apart from Telangana, Delhi, Assam, Odisha and Rajasthan rank in top states in crime against women in India.

The NCRB data has also revealed that dowry-related deaths have decreased from 262 in 2015 to 254 in 2016 in Telangana state.

Hyderabad stood 10th in stalking cases with 74 cases registered in 2016 among major metropolitan cities.

“In the past one and half years, SHE Teams caught 363 minors for stalking, harassing or eve-teasing women in addition to 1,101 adults. We are now taking up several steps, the cases will surely come down in the next few years,” the ACP added.