New Delhi records 1,121 rape cases in 2013 only

The national capital has 1,121 rape cases registered in the first eight months of this year, the highest in the last 13 years.

The number of reported cases which stands at 1,121, till August 31 this year, is more than double than last year's figure of 468 in the same period.

However, Delhi Police see this rise in the number of cases as a good sign, saying that more cases are now being reported and a number of efforts have been taken to ensure women safety in the city after the December 16 gang-rape case last year.

According to National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, the numbers of registered rape cases were 572 in 2011, while 507 rape cases were reported in 2010.

A senior police official said, "Today, complaints are recorded verbatim and FIRs are filed simply on the basis of the women's complaint without raising any issue. This has caused significant rise in the number of registered cases but we are not deterred by it."

He also claimed that among all the cases of crime against women registered by Delhi Police, more than 80 per cent of the perpetrators are arrested within the first week.

"We have set up a special women's cell to address crime against women. But above all, we need to sensitise the society," the official said.

"Surveys reveal that in most cases, the attackers are known to the victim, which is the biggest deterrent for a woman to report such cases. So if the number of reported rape cases is increasing, it means that the efforts have started to yield fruits," the official said.

-DELHI RECORDS