Every morning I open the paper with a sense of dread. How many rapes? How many cases of molestation in the last 24 hours? This morning was no different—a 25-year-old man was arrested for raping and blackmailing a minor in Delhi’s South Avenue area, which is adjacent to Rashtrapati Bhawan, one of our most protected VIP stretches.

Recent Cases In Delhi

Last month, the capital reported four minors being molested in fourteen days. The most serious was when three men, posing as policemen, sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl at the Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple. The level of criminality can be understood from the fact that although the police went on to arrest the three accused, one of them was apprehended only after an exchange of fire.

Every hour, nearly 51 First Information Reports (FIRs) related to crimes against women are being registered across India. Where are the safety, dignity and freedom that have been promised to us by our present woman Chief Minister, who had pledged to make Delhi safe and crime-free?

According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau, 445,256 cases of crimes against women were registered this year. This represents a 4% increase compared to the previous year. As a result, the national average now stands at approximately 51 FIRs every hour (crimes against women), with a crime rate of 66.4 cases per one lakh female population.

Underreporting Of Crimes

However, these figures represent only the cases that are officially reported. Many incidents never reach the police because survivors often fear social stigma, family pressure,........

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