Crimes against women

Crime cases against women are on rise in Srinagar. According to official data, in 2020, the Srinagar district saw seven rape cases, 21 in 2021 and 14 in 2022 and five this year so far. Similarly, the district saw eight cases of ‘sexual offences against children’ in 2020, 20 in 2021, 26 in 2022 and 12 cases this year so far. 42 cases of ‘kidnapping of women’ were reported in 2020, 83 in 2021, 116 in 2022 and 36 this year so far.

187 cases of molestation have been reported in 2020, 204 in 2021, 227 in 2022 and 105 this year. The eve-teasing cases stood at 6 in 2020, 9 in 2021, 8 in 2022 and 3 so far this year.

Srinagar saw 47 cases of ‘cruelty by husband’, in 2020, 41 in 2021, 70 in 2022 and 54 in the ongoing year so far.

In 2020, there was no case of ‘dowry death’, one each was reported in 2021 and 2022 and no such case so far this year. The rising crimes against women depict collective failure of the society and efforts should be made to curb them. Also the Constitution guarantees the right to equality and also provides for positive interventions by the State to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and to ensure their holistic empowerment. Keeping in mind the vision articulated in Constitutional provisions, there has been enactment of various legislations such as the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 which addresses the issue of gender inequality, discrimination and violence faced by women.

The laws seek to provide relief to women in the form of protection order, residence order, monetary relief, custody order and compensation orders. Breach of any protection order is a criminal offence.

It is not the case that anticipation or forewarning against the rise were not there. Most rapes are perpetrated by people known to the victim but there are hardly befitting punishments. Most of the rapes are not reported for the reasons well known and also specifically documented. One does not know exactly how many women were raped or trafficked? One does not know how many were married forcibly and under-aged in desperation to see them safe and fed.

Orderly creation of a support infrastructure like easy access helplines, secure shelter services with enabling cultures and sensitisation of people against violence need to be created.

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