Reported crimes against women up by 21% last yr: Delhi Police data

New Delhi: The Delhi Police's annual data released on Thursday showed that the number of reported crimes against women cases in the Capital had increased by a whopping 21.69 per cent in 2021 compared to the year before even as the police said the cases showed that more women were reporting crimes to them and that they were following a "conscious policy of fair and truthful registration".

As per the data, 2,429 molestation cases were registered in 2021, an increase of 17.51 per cent. In 2021, 1,969 cases rape were reported in the city, up from 1,618 in 2020. Police said that in 98.78 per cent of the rape cases, the accused were known to the victims.

Similarly, harassment (eve-teasing) cases have also witnessed an uptick, with 421 cases being registered in 2021 as compared to 411 cases in 2020, police said.

The police claimed that 95.48 per cent of the total registered rape cases were solved and the solve rate was 90.98 per cent for molestation cases and 85.75 per cent for insulting modesty of women.

"For us, the safety of women, children and vulnerable sections of the society is of the utmost priority. So, we have initiated a drive to have a pink booths all over the city," Asthana said

Significantly, overall crime data showed that crime in the Capital had increased by 15 per cent in 2021 compared to the previous year — which Commissioner Asthana attributed to reduced reporting in the first year of the pandemic (2020). The police registered a total of 3,06,389 cases in 2021 compared to 2,66,070 in 2020.

Police also mentioned during the annual PC that over 70 per cent of crime in the Capital is involved property, like motor vehicle theft, robbery, dacoity etc.

However, the data showed that there was a marginal dip of 3 per cent in murder cases in 2021 but attempt to murder cases saw a whopping 35 per cent rise.

In 2021, the police registered 459 cases of murder, while in the year 2020 it was 472 and 521 in 2019. In these cases, police have arrested 1,050 accused persons in 2021, while in 2020 the figure of arrested persons was 1,015 and 1,022 in 2019.

During the annual press meet, it was also told to the media that over 10,000 fresh CCTVs will be added soon under the safe city project to prevent crime. At present over 15,000 CCTVs are run by the city police.

There were 17 cases of kidnapping for ransom last year and all of them were solved. In 2020, 11 cases were filed which were all solved. The percentage of extortion cases solved was 87 in 2021 as a total of 170 cases were lodged, compared to 120 cases in the previous year, it said.

The use of firearms has also gone down by nine per cent in murder, attempt to murder and dacoity/robbery cases, the data said.

There was a 9 per cent increase in crimes against senior citizens in 2021 during which 41,113 such cases were registered, police added.

The Delhi Police said a total of 15,146 PCR calls were received in 2021 and 2,359 cases were filed for robbery and dacoity. The number of PCR calls and cases were 11,790 and 1,972 respectively in 2020.

A total of 21 major gangs active in outlying districts of Delhi were identified and in 2021, seven dreaded criminals were neutralised, they said.