Gurugram: Official data from Gurugram Police has revealed that there are more sexual crimes registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act than under section 376 (punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code.
Data for cases of sexual crimes till October this year in Gurugram revealed that while 133 cases have been registered under POSCO act, there have been 101 cases filed under section 376 of the IPC.
As per the data, an average of 10 cases have been registered in police stations across the city regarding sexual crimes against minors this year.
What is even more worrisome is that more than 25 cases each month are being heard by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
According to the CWC officials, the main reason why they are being approached is due to the complexities in the law and embarrassment faced by parents/guardians of the minor victims during police investigation.
"The greater challenge, however, is that of convincing parents and the child to be patient throughout the entire proceedings. The rigours of law takes its toll and most parents back out during the process," said a senior official from Gurugram Police.
Gurugram, as well as its neighbour Faridabad, lead the list of districts in Haryana where cases of sexual crimes against minors are reported.
In 2017, as many as 106 cases of sexual crimes against minors were registered, while the number was 115 in 2016.
In addition to sexual crimes, law enforcement officials also must deal with increased cases of human trafficking.
Last year, 154 minors were kidnapped from the city, out of which 115 were girls. Between 2012 and 2017, 1,062 children have been kidnapped, among which 677 are girls.
According to Gurugram police, gangs based in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are highly active in committing such crimes.
The safety of minors had come to the fore recently after a three-year-old girl was not only raped but bludgeoned to death on Monday. The accused in the case, identified as 20-year-old Sunil, is still at large. A reward of Rs two lakh has been announced for persons who can aid Gurugram Police to catch hold of the accused.