Elopement cases is increasing in bordering Tripura with 14 per cent rise this year compared to 2014, while crime against women is declining in the state, an official said here on Tuesday.
"In all 106 cases of elopement were registered in first eleven months of this year (January to November) in Tripura against 93 cases registered in the corresponding period of 2014 - an increase of 14 per cent," police spokesman Uttam Kumar Bhowmik said.
He said that mostly young boys and girls eloped and married themselves when their parents disallowed their love affairs.
"However, sometimes married woman also fled away with married or unmarried man secretly, forcing their parents or relatives to register case with the police," he added.
The police official said that after the state government has taken multi-pronged strategies to curb crime against women, the offence relating to women reasonably reduced.
According to Bhowmik, the rape of women reduced by 16 per cent in first eleven months this year (January to November) compared to same period of 2014 (225 cases in 2014 and 189 cases in 2016) while dowry related deaths came down by 57.14 per cent (35 in 2014 and 15 in 2016).
Molestation of women declined by 53.78 in this period (437 in 2014 and 202 in 2016) and torture and harassment of married women in-laws house was dropped by 38.35 per cent (665 in 2014 and 410 in 2016).
The official said that the issue of safety, protection and welfare of women in Tripura continues to be one of the top most priority areas of state government.
"Community policing world over has proved to be a powerful instrument in enforcing the process of law. As part of the community policing the Tripura police has undertaken 'Prayaas' programme few years back to forge a strong police-public-partnership aiming to improve the delivery of law enforcement services to the community," he added.
Besides 'Prayaas' programme, many initiatives were undertaken to check crime against women in Tripura. These include, setting up of seven all women police station across the state, toll free women help line 1091, women help desk in all the 76 police stations in the state, close monitoring of investigation and following up of trial in crime against women, enhancing representation of women in police force.
"The multi-pronged steps appeared to have contributed to reduction of crimes against women in the state," said Bhowmik, an IPS officer.
The Tripura police department has been consistently engaging the civil society through the community policing programme 'Prayaas' to sensitise all the stakeholders on the issue of women's safety.
--IANS
sc/sm/vm
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
