The incidents of rape and molestation have gone up in Jammu and Kashmir. In past five years over 7000 cases of molestation and 1600 cases of rape have been reported.
The annual report released by the Crime Branch of policeshows that since 2014 there has been a rise in cases of rape and molestation inJ&K.
In 2014 police have registered 1410 cases of molestation –383 cases in Jammu and 1027 in Kashmir division.
Looking at the figures the highest number of cases ofmolestation were reported from Srinagar at 218, followed by Kulgam 171,Anantnag 123, Baramulla 83, Sopore 83, Jammu 81 and Handwara 80.
In 2015, however, the cases of molestation showed a marginaldip. The number of such cases dropped to 1341 – a drop of 69 cases.
Next year also, the official report says, the number furtherwent down to 1231.
But in 2017 there was significant jump in the numbers ofmolestation. A total of 1422 cases of molestation were reported by police. Thistime the highest number of cases was reported from Srinagar 229, Anantnag 100and Jammu 100.
And in 2018, there was addition of 178 more cases ascompared to last year. The Crime Branch has reported 1600 cases of molestationin 2018. The highest so far in five years.
In Jammu region 416 cases of molestation were reported fromall the ten districts, and in Kashmir, where the most number of such cases werereported, a total of 1184 cases were registered by Police with districtSrinagar and Budgam topping the list of crimes against women.
Similarly, the police statistics depict that there has beena steady rise in cases of rape also. Since 2014, the police figures reveal that1602 cases of rape have taken place in J&K.
In Jammu, however, more cases of rape have been reported ascompared to Kashmir.
In 2014, 238 cases of rape were reported in Jammu and in thesame year 120 cases were reported in Kashmir.
Similarly, 210 cases of rape were registered by police in2015 in Jammu and 123 such cases were reported in Kashmir. Much in the similarway 278 cases of rape were reported in J&K in 2016 – 188 in Jammu and 90 inKashmir.
The report further states that 322 cases of rape werereported by police in 2017 and 359 in 2018. In last two years 681 cases havebeen reported – 414 in Jammu and 267 in Kashmir.