Bengaluru has earned the tag of rape capital of south India and Wednesday’s gruesome incident where a mentally unsound woman was raped within a stone's throw of Cubbon Park police station reinforces this fact. In last two years, the city has been witness to chilling sexual offences against women and girl children. DC looks at the issue
The rape incidents that are being reported in the city in the last few months are proving more than ever that the city is no more a safe place for women. Despite the usual claims by the police that the patrolling is increased and they are keeping a close vigil, rape and sexual offences against women have continued unabated in the city.
Wednesday night’s incident in which a 30-year-old woman was gang raped by two security guards in Cubbon Park is just another incident that has proved that even public places in the city are not so safe for women. Shockingly, the incident was reported just about 500 meters away from Cubbon Park police station.
Though it is practically impossible to stop rape incidents that take place within four walls, such incidents in any public place or a public transport facility calls for an immediate re-look at the strategies adopted by the police department in tackling crime against women. Apart from nabbing the culprits early, filing the chargesheet soon and speedy trial and conviction in such cases, it is most important that the police adopt measures that will ensure there are no such ghastly incidents.
It is high time that the police work out strategies with special focus on curbing crime against women. Former DG & IGP S. T. Ramesh opines that installation of security cameras or introducing safety mobile applications for women does not work alone in stopping such incidents. “Though it is not fair to blame police for all such incidents, the top officials should give special focus to the issue. It is time to upgrade the general policing. They should come up with plans on what all can be done to prevent such incidents. For instance, visibility of policemen in late hours and dark areas would definitely reduce the possibility of any crime. Besides, a regular check on goonda, rowdy and anti-social elements is a must.”
“The police department has to re-look at previous and existing strategies. It is important for pro-active policing involving citizens. It is also important to create awareness to women of such incidents and give them basic personal safety tips on how to not become a vitim of such incidents. Increased conviction rate would also deter the rogue elements from committing such offences,” he added.
Chilling trail
October 3
A 22-year-old BPO staffer was kidnapped from Madivala in a Tempo Traveller and was gang raped by two drivers near Kaadubeesanahalli. The police had arrested Suneel and Yogesh in this connection. The Sulibele incident comes exactly a month after the Madivala kidnap and gang rape case.
October 6
A 54-year-old female dengue patient was allegedly molested by a male medical attendant at Fortis Hospital on Cunningham Road. Accused Shivakumar, 32, was arrested in this case.
October 13
A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her 45-year-old step-father over a period of six months to one year at her house in Byatarayanapura police
station limits.
November 4
It was reported that a 19-year-old B.Com student was raped by a 41-year-old man in his car in Mahalakshmi Layout police station limits. The girl approached the police and lodged a complaint of rape after she became pregnant. Accused Eshwar was arrested in this regard and it was revealed the he had sexually assaulted the girl a few times over the last few months.
November 5
A 19-year-old girl was raped by a 21-year-old driver of the mini-bus she boarded in Sulibele on the outskirts of the city. The girl, who works in a nursing home in Hoskote, boarded the bus and its driver, Ravi, who asked cleaner, Manjunath, to drive the bus, allegedly closed the windows of the bus and raped the girl in the moving bus for about 15 minutes.
NCRB data
As per the data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bengaluru comes 11th in the list of rate of rapes including custodial, non-custodial, gang rapes, and attempt to commit rape with a total number of 104 incidents while Delhi tops the chart with 1813 incidences and Mumbai seconding it with 607.
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