440% rise in reporting of major crimes in Delhi in 10 years, says report

Reporting of major crimes in the national capital has increased by 440 per cent in the last 10 years from 2012 to 2021, according to a report.

The report launched by the Praja Foundation on 'State of Policing and Law & Order in Delhi' also highlights the pendency in the investigation of cases as well as trial proceedings in Delhi.

No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi Police on the report.

According to the report, registered crimes of theft and chain snatching have increased by 827 per cent and 552 per cent respectively from 2012 to 2021. While registered crimes of molestation, rape and kidnapping/abduction have increased by 251 per cent, 194 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.

 

The report further stated that 41 per cent of total rape cases were registered under POCSO Act in 2021. In the same year, it has been seen that 91 per cent of total kidnapping and abduction victims were children while the conviction rate was 38 per cent for crimes against women and only 52 per cent for crimes against children.

The report added that 99 per cent of crimes against women and children are pending for trial as of 2021 and at this rate, it would take 27 years to provide a judgment to all such cases.

Milind Mhaske, CEO, Praja Foundation said although it is a good sign that more citizens are coming forward to report a crime, a sharp rise in crimes against women and crimes against children in Delhi is still concerning.

Citing an example, he said that 86 per cent of Delhi's victims of human trafficking from 2017 to 2021 were children under the age of 18 years. Moreover, 89 per cent of all victims of human trafficking in 2021 were trafficked for forced labour.

Policing and law and order are systematic factors important to address the rising crime rate in Delhi. However, cases pending at the investigation and judiciary stages show a delay in the deliverance of justice to the victims. In 2021, 56 per cent of cases were pending investigation for crimes against women, which decreased minutely from 58 per cent in 2017. The pendency in the investigation of crimes against children has remained constant at 53 per cent in 2017 and 2021, Mhaske said.

The CEO of Praja Foundation attributed the delay in investigation of cases due to vacant positions in the Delhi Police force.

"There was a 12 per cent vacancy in police staff in 2021-22, of which the highest vacancy was for the post of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (74 per cent). Police inspectors, sub-inspectors and assistant police inspectors play an important role during an investigation. While in 2020-21, there was a 13 per cent vacancy in these posts, added Mhaske.

There is a pendency in trials at the judiciary level as well.

In 2021, 88 per cent of IPC cases were pending for trial, while 96 per cent of SLL cases were pending for trial. There has been an increase in the proportion of pending trials for crimes against women and children. The data on the pendency of trials for crimes against women shows an increase from 93 per cent in 2017 to 98 per cent in 2021, while the pendency of trials for crimes against children increased from 95 per cent in 2017 to 99 per cent in 2021," the report noted.

Elaborating on the status of POCSO cases, the report stated that under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, girls were victims in 94 per cent of the total 1,454 POCSO cases in 2021, with rape (845) and sexual assault (501) being the highest.

"In 98 per cent of POCSO rape cases, the offender was known to the victim," the report noted.