Praja Foundation: White Paper on "The State of Policing and Law & Order in Mumbai"
- Reported Rape cases
have increased by 289% & Molestation by 287% during FY 2011-12 &
FY 2015-16
- Perception of people
feeling insecure for safety of women and children has gone up from 22% to
33% between 2013 to 2016
- Average time taken
for rape cases from FIR to Chargesheet is 9.2 months
- North Central Mumbai has highest (9286)
occurrences of crime; while the MLAs representing this area have asked 60
questions on crime in 2015-16
- 3 MLAs (Bharati
Lavekar, Ramchandra Kadam and Selvan Tamil) have not raised even a single
issue on crime during Monsoon’15 & Winter’15 Session
- Shortage of
Investigation Officers (IOs) by 11%
- Control room short
staffed by 57%
Mumbai 14th
November, 2016:
Praja
published its Annual Report on Policing and Law & Order in Mumbai. Praja’s
consistent reports from the past years have led to a positive change in the levels of understaffing in the police force.
In 2011, the gap was 19% which till 2015 remained the same. Mumbai Police has
recruited 5267 personnel which has reduced the gap to 7% in 2016.
Another recommendation by Praja had been on increasing
the conviction rates for Class II serious offences (i.e. crime against body
such as rape, molestation, murder and kidnapping). The conviction rates in the
last few years had been consistently dropping. In year 2012, the rate was as
low as 7%, but in the last one year the rate has improved from 9% to 18%.
The report further analysed the data
gathered under RTI (Right to Information) and has observed that Mumbai is
increasingly becoming more unsafe for women and children. The total numbers of
rape cases registered in 2014 was 609 out of which 56% were children (below
18). In 2015 the number has increased to 712 out of which a higher ratio of 63%
is of children (below 18 years).
Nitai Mehta, Founder and Managing Trustee of Praja
Foundation said, “Within a span of five years (2011-12 to 2015-16), reporting
of rape cases has increased by 289% and molestation by 287%. On this serious
issue of child and women safety, the Government of Maharashtra and Police
department should take cognisance of and take steps towards ensuring safety of
women and children.”
In the same period (2011-12 to 2015-16), through
Praja’s annual survey of over 25000 households, it was found that people’s
concern for safety of women and children has also been correspondingly
increasing. It has moved from 22% in 2013 to 33% in 2016. In the year 2013-14
when the year to year rise in the reported rape cases was at 47% and
molestation was 54%, the concern of people for women safety was also the at 36%
in 2014.
Milind Mhaske, Project Director of Praja emphasised on
the issue and stated, “It
takes on an average 9.2 months for a Chargesheet to be filled after FIR in rape
cases and 21.3 months for decisions to be reached in Mumbai sessions courts.
While, on an average cases in sessions court studied by us take 25.9 months for
reaching decisions from the date FIRs are registered.”
Mhaske
further added that, out of the two key recommendation on the bringing better
police reforms, State
Security Commission has not been formed till date and it’s a similar case with
the State Police Complaint Authority for which the committee has been set up
but with no official office.
Concluding
the report, Mehta said, “The Chief Minister who also holds the home department
should focus on proper
policing, investigation and implementations of police reforms suggested by the
Supreme Court to make Mumbaikars life secure.”
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