Man strangles pregnant wife to death

ANOTHER SHAMEFUL STORY…

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) In a suspected dowry death case, a 30-year-old jobless man strangled his pregnant wife to death here before surrendering at a police station 12 hours later, an official said Sunday.

Vinod strangled four-month pregnant Pinky, 24, while she was asleep late Saturday night at his house in Bajrang Enclave in Najafgarh area in west Delhi, police said.

The suspect surrendered before police Sunday morning. Pinky’s parents alleged that he used to beat her up for dowry, police said.

“He told us that he had a heated argument with his wife, after which she went to sleep. He later strangled her,” said a police official.

The couple had a three-year-old daughter, police said.

What are the causes of rising crime in India?

 

RISING CRIME IN INDIAN CITIES

For semi-urban and rural India, cities have gradually come to signify prosperity, better quality of life, and higher income underlined by a modern lifestyle and facilities. Of all the parameters that are perceived to qualify a successful life in the present context, living in a city is perhaps one of the most significant and sought after. In their quest for the seemingly ideal life, people are increasingly migrating to cities causing an imbalance in the supply and demand scenario of basic resources due to overpopulation. According to United Nations (1999), long term projections estimate that the world’s population would probably stabilize at 9.3 and 10 billion between 2150 and 2200. This increase will occur mostly in urban areas, which will grow from 2.5 billion to more than 6 billion, with nearly all of this increase occurring in the developing world. In the shorter term, it is estimated that by 2020 the world’s population will reach a 57 per cent urbanization level.[1]
The imbalance of available resources is marked by the dearth of space, shelter, food and basic amenities for the rising population leading to competition, rivalry and in turn insecurity. The most appalling and stark manifestation of this insecurity is the rise in crime in cities. The biggest irony of the present times is that, cities that attract economic power and foster growth are now the hub of crime and violence which drastically debilitate development. The rising crime in Indian cities may be attributed to widening inequality, poverty, improper urban planning, ever-increasing burden on urban infrastructure, proliferation of slums and poor neighbourhoods, and the not-so-perfect judiciary and legal system of the country.
Available statistics on crimes in India depict an extremely disturbing picture of the law and order situation of the country. As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, during 2010, a total of 67,50,748 cognizable crimes comprising 22,24,831 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 45,25,917 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were reported, showing an increase of 1.11% over 2009 (66,75,217). The (IPC) crime rate has increased by 3.9% over 2009[2]. Crime trends under major heads from 1953-2011 reveal that crimes such as Dacoity and Burglary/House breaking have been on the decline over a period of 59 years however, crimes such as murder, rape, kidnapping & abduction, robbery and riots have been on the rise. While, Burglary/ House breaking has declined by 37.2% (from 1,47,379 in 1953 to 92,504 in 2011) and Dacoity has declined by 23.2% (from 5,579 in 1953 to 4,285 in 2011), Murder has increased by 250.0% (from 9,802 in 1953 to 34,305 in 2011); Rape by 873.3% (from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011); Kidnapping & Abduction by 749.0% (from 5,261 in 1953 to 44,664 in 2011); Robbery by 193.8% (from 8,407 in 1953 to 24,700 in 2011) and Riots by 233.7% (from 20,529 in 1953 to 68,500 in 2011)[3]. It is evident that heinous and violent crimes are on the rise which is surely a cause for concern.
The police force in India is constrained by the lack of adequate manpower, equipment, technology & technical know-how and to some extent political will. According to NCRB, in 2011 the actual strength of police force was 12, 81,317 against the sanctioned strength of 16, 60,953. In terms of percentage of IPC cases, disposed by courts was mere 13.5% as opposed to the remaining 84.5% cases which were pending. Similarly, disposal of SLL cases by courts was 41.3% while remaining 57.9% cases were pending during the year 2011[4].
Urban safety and security is vital for the inflow of investment and overall development and it is time that the challenge of securing our cities is taken up in the right earnest. Some of the measures that would be crucial to achieve this are better policing, inclusive urban planning to counter the risk of propagating crimes, technological advancement in security, and socio-economic up gradation and development of overcrowded slum areas that are prone to criminal acts and violence. The need of the hour is also for every citizen of the country to be aware of their role in ensuring the safety and security of society at large.
The Conference on Homeland Security 2012: Safe and Secure City being organised by FICCI on August 7-8, 2012 at Federation House, New Delhi will attempt to find answers to several questions concerning the safety of Indian cities. It would provide an opportunity to learn from initiatives across several states of India and deliberate on how to make our cities secure. The Strengthening our Policing Contest being organised under the aegis of this programme is a unique effort to engage the youth of India in devising innovative measures for strengthening the safety of our cities.
The writing on the wall is clear – It is not enough just to realise the gravity of the situation, take a backseat and hope that we as individuals never become the target of crime or violence. On the contrary, each one of us needs to rise to the challenge and strive for a society free of crime and fear.

Why rape is not a crime in India

 

Treat rape on par with murder not just in punishment but also in the procedure of its investigation and the pursuit of the perpetrator. Make our roads and neighbourhoods safer. We will figure out how to make our homes safer and hearts larger, says Hemanth Kumar G.

A rape is occupying the centre stage of our consciousness all over again. Given the hullabaloo, one would think that the gap between the unfortunate gangrape of the paramedical student in a Delhi [ Images ] bus and that of this hapless five-year-old in an East Delhi neighbourhood is like that of terror returning to America, 12 years after 9/11. But alas, the gap between these two shameful incidents is only four months.

It is not as though there have been no rapes in between. It is just that our media will take their collective prime-time or first-page notice only when such incidents happen in Delhi. The rest of India [ Images ] simply does not exist for many of the media houses. Even as we speak there have been gruesome rapes of children in Madhya Pradesh [ Images ] and Assam after this incident. There has been no coverage of that by our mainstream media except for passing reports. Come on, have a heart, how do you move OB vans to remote states!

The protests are also largely confined to political parties and some NGOs this time. Middle-class Delhi has gone missing. You really cannot blame them. The summer temperature in Delhi can be stifling and come on, for heaven’s sake there is an IPL season going on! Sarcasm apart, how many times can citizens come out to protest!

We have heard the prime minister say that collective efforts must be taken for the depravity to end and the home minister say that rapes happen all over India. Thank you sirs, we did not know. You truly enlighten us. Sorry sirs, make that entertain us. If the situation were not tragic, your comments would certainly qualify as comic.

What the PM and HM are saying albeit subtly is that they are not responsible. What they are not saying but implying is that since it is the society that needs to change, it is ultimately us who are responsible for these rapes! Go figure!

It is not just the PM and the HM who feel this way. Many respected commentators are expanding the scope saying that the attitude of society to women is the reason for rape. Their reasoning is that we do not respect women for many female foetuses do not see the outside of a womb, many female children are fed less than male children, many female children drop out of school earlier and so on. Ergo you have to change society before attempting to do something about reducing rapes. Start respecting women and rapes will come down is their line of thought.

Frankly, they put the cart before the horse. A rape is a crime, period.

Rape is being confused with abuse. The abuse of a child or a woman is systemic and done by someone known to them and it happens inside the home or at work.

But rape is similar to abduction. The child in this case was taken out of its home. Why should the approach of the police be any different than what it would have been for a kidnapping?

The problem in India is that rape is not a crime.

Yes, you read that right. It is not a crime.

Think about it. We have learnt that the accused in this instance actually raped his wife before their marriage. What was the punishment? And to whom was it given? The hapless girl was married off! To him!

The law is like the lock. No lock on this earth can prevent a criminal. The hardened criminal will break open a lock. But a lock certainly ensures that an otherwise honest passerby will not be tempted to steal.

The problem with rape in India is that there are no consequences to breaking open this lock. Quite simply, the law against rape is not enforced.

In most cases, the victim or her family hushes up a rape. And in some cases where it is not hushed up, the punishment is marriage between the victim and her violator!

And this story repeats itself everywhere in India. Try telling a good friend that someone known to you has been raped. You will get solicitous and well-meaning advice that you should count your blessings that the victim is alive and move on. That is exactly what the police allegedly did in this case. They requested the parents to hush up the crime even offering them comfort money.

What are the people asking for? We are not asking the establishment to change our hearts and minds so that we will abuse our womenfolk less. That is for social activists to do. There was a time when only social activists went on to become political activists. Sigh! But then, I digress.

We are asking the establishment to pursue rape like it pursues murder. When there is a murder, the law enforcement makes a fundamental assumption — that the murderer is armed and will harm more citizens if not hunted down post haste.

That is precisely what the Delhi police establishment did not do in this case. They tried to fob off the parents from registering an FIR, they tried to counsel the parents to move on and one senior official even got so irate that he ended up assaulting a lady who was protesting the fact that the FIR was not registered in time.

And that is why the Delhi police commissioner is in the dock and that is why his head should roll. Not because the rape itself happened but because of what did not happen after the rape.

Treat rape on par with murder not just in punishment but also in the procedure of its investigation and the pursuit of the perpetrator.

Make our roads and neighbourhoods safer. We will figure out how to make our homes safer and hearts larger.

Verdict in December 16 gang-rape expected by May end

Dec 16 gang-rape verdict expected by May end

New Delhi: With the trial in the Delhi gang-rape case “almost 90 percent complete”, the Court verdict is expected to come by the end of May, Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar said.

In a TV interview, Neeraj Kumar said,”The trial of December 16 (2012) case is almost 90 percent complete and judgment is expected by the end of May.”

On December 16, 2012, a 23-year-old woman was brutally raped and tortured by a gang of six people on a moving bus. She died a few days later of grievous injuries. The male friend of the victim, who too was attacked and severely injured, in an interview had criticized the police for their “inaction” in the case.

The police commissioner dismissed allegations that policemen had offered a bribe of Rs.2,000 to the parents of a five-year-old-girl in east Delhi, another rape victim in the city, in April to hush up the matter.

“A report was promptly registered by the women help desk after which a case was lodged. I admit the follow-up action was not up to the mark for which we suspended the SHO (station house officer) and IO (investigative officer) in the case,” he said.

There was no question of hushing up the case as NGOs were informed about the incident and media was also present there, he added.

Speaking of capital punishment for rapists, Neeraj Kumar said, “Many criminals have been hanged for murders and terrorism but has this brought an end to such crimes? The law punishes criminals but if we start assuming that this will stop crimes, this will not be correct.”

The commissioner again said that his stepping down would not serve any purpose.”I am not among those who run away. I am the leader of the force and till the time the government has trust in me, I shall continue to lead,” he said.

According to Neeraj Kumar, in the wake of the recent crimes against women, the police have taken a slew of measures to make women feel safe in the capital.

“One such step is setting up of women help desks at police stations which are functional round the clock where females can register their complaints,” he said.

There is a 158 percent increase in rape case registration, 600 percent in molestation cases and 700 percent in eve-teasing cases. These are not indicative of a rise in crimes but it shows women are now confident about going to police stations where a woman officer hears them and registers their complaints.

336% spurt in child rape cases between 2001 and 2011

NEW DELHI: Even as the national Capital protests against the heinous nature of the five-year-old child’s rape, an independent report, based on National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures, shows that India is no country for children. The report says a total of 48,338 child rape cases was recorded between 2001 and 2011, and the nation saw an increase of 336% of such cases from 2001 (2,113) to 2011 (7,112).

The report by the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), however, warns that this is only the “tip of the iceberg” as the large majority of child rape cases are not reported to police while children regularly become victims of other forms of sexual assault too.

Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of child rape cases with 9,465 cases between 2001 and 2011, followed by Maharashtra (6,868), Uttar Pradesh (5,949) and Andhra Pradesh (3,977). Delhi, which reported 2,909 cases, ranked sixth on the list.

The report, “India’s Hell Holes: Child Sexual Assault in Juvenile Justice Homes”, which has been submitted to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, says that many of the cases take place in juvenile homes.

“It will not be an understatement to state that juvenile justice homes, established to provide care and protection as well as reintegration, rehabilitation and restoration of the juveniles in conflict with law and children in need of care and protection, have become India’s hell holes where inmates are subjected to sexual assault and exploitation, torture and ill-treatment apart from being forced to live in inhuman conditions. The girls remain the most vulnerable. It matters little whether the juvenile justice homes are situated in Delhi or in mofussil towns,” said Suhas Chakma, director, ACHR.

The 56-page report also highlights 39 cases of systematic and often repeated sexual assault on children in juvenile justice homes. Out of the 39 cases, 11 were reported from government-run juvenile justice homes, while in one case a CWC member was accused of sexual harassment during counselling sessions. The remaining 27 cases were reported from private or NGO-run juvenile justice homes.

CRIME AGAINST WOMEN IN INDIA

Over 32000 murders, 19,000 rapes, 7500 dowry deaths and 36500 molestation cases are the violent crimes reported in India in 2006 against women. There are many instances of crime especially against women go unreported in India. These are figures released by the National Crime Records Bureau recently. While Madhya Pradesh is worst off among the states, the national capital New Delhi continues to hold on to its reputation of being the most unsafe city in India. Delhi takes the top slot for crimes ranging from murders and rapes to dowry deaths and abductions.

It reflects country’s law and order situation when its capital is a cauldron of crime. Instead of leading the way in tackling crime, Delhi only seems to do worse year after year. For instance while the national crime rate declined negligibly by .02 % in 2006; Delhi’s rate grew to 357.2more than double the national average of 167.7.

Rape is the fastest growing crime in the country today and as many as 18 women are assaulted in some form or the other every hour across India. Over the last few months cases of rapes and assault have made it to the headlines with alarming frequency. Mumbai watched with shame as an ugly mob attacked women on New Year’s Eve. In Latur a 14 year old was raped and killed by four young men. In Konark four men were charged with dragging a woman out of a bus and gang raping her. It is an ordeal simply to file a police report and the investigations thereafter have been stories of apathy and down right humiliation meted out to the victims. Where convicted, punishments have ranged from capital punishments to a day in jail.

Equally horrific are news reports of foreign tourists being sexually assaulted. Recently an American was molested in Pushkar, a British journalist raped in Goa, Canadian girls attacked in Kumarakom to list the few instances. It looks like that India as a nation has ceased to know how to treat women as human beings who have a right to dignity and safety. The crime against tourists is against our culture of “atithi devo bhava’ Government has decided to meet and discuss with the state government the safety of women tourists as a reaction from the fear that such incidents will impact India’s image.

Despite the trauma women across all classes are reporting crimes such as rape and assault and do not feel helpless or abandoned by family or society as was the prevalent case before. Society is changing and government is forced to take action as it has run out of excuses such as society’s mindset or class divide.