Six rapes and 14 molestation cases have been reported every day in the first four months of 2014, according to Delhi Police figures. Police however claimed to have solved almost 90 percent of the cases and arrested the accused.
According to a recent compilation of data by the Delhi Police, a copy of which is available with IANS, 616 rapes and 1,336 molestation cases were registered in the period from Jan 1 till April 30 this year - a 36 percent increase in rape cases compared to around 450 cases registered in the same period last year.
Cases of molestation recorded in the same corresponding period show a similar rise with over 1,000 registered cases.
Police said over 89 percent cases of rape and molestation reported in the first four months have been solved and the accused have been arrested.
In 2013, a total of 1,559 rape and 3,347 molestation cases were registered as compared to 680 rape and 653 incidents of molestation in 2012.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Ashok Chand said the increase in the number of cases against women is due to police following the "zero tolerance policy".
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"Every case against women are being registered on priority basis," Chand told IANS.
According to data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Delhi registered the highest 568 cases of rape in the country followed by 218 in Mumbai in 2011.
Delhi, which earned the infamous tag of 'rape capital', saw street campaigns, especially by the young, in 2012 after a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was gang raped by six people, including a minor, and died later of grievous injuries.
Following the shocking incident, Delhi Police took several steps to ensure safety of women.
Another senior police officer told IANS that data have shown that in 90 percent of cases, people known to the victims were involved, while a small percentage were committed by strangers.
"In most of the rape and molestation cases, the accused were known to the victim and this makes prevention of such crimes comparatively more difficult," the officer, who did not want to be identified, told IANS.
Counting the steps taken by Delhi Police for women's safety, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Varsha Sharma said: "A special police unit for women and children (SPUWAC) is already in place to handle women-related cases in all 11 police districts."
"Training in self defence for girl students of schools and colleges are also held on a regular basis. Gender sensitization programmes are organised for police personnel. At least 860 police personnel attended the programme organised by SPUWAC this year," she said.
Apart from this, a mobile women police team is available 24x7 to provide support services to women in distress.
"On an average, 30 calls are received daily by this unit," said the officer.
A total of 11, 439 calls were referred to the mobile women police team this year till April 30 and all calls were received and attended by this unit.
(Rajnish Singh can be contacted at rajnish.k@ians.in)