Despite an average of three reported rapes per day, Delhi remains among the most unsafe metropolitan cities for women in India, as per data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). In 2022, there were 14,158 reported crimes against women in the capital, showing a slight increase from the 13,982 reported in 2021.
Delhi’s figures equate to 186.9 crimes against women per 100,000 people, constituting 29.04% of the 48,755 crimes against women reported in 19 major cities across the country. This raises concerns about law enforcement authorities potentially falling short in ensuring a safe environment for women.
However, Jaipur claimed the undesirable title of being the most unsafe city in India, registering a rate of 239.3 crimes against women, with 3,479 reported cases. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Public Relations) Suman Nalwa defended Delhi’s elevated numbers, attributing them to the police’s commitment to registering all complaints. She clarified that complainants are not turned away, and the force files Zero FIRs for cases outside Delhi, transferring them to the respective states for resolution.
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Experts caution against a simplistic interpretation of the rankings based on NCRB data. Braja Kishore Singh, former Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police and current practicing lawyer at the Supreme Court, emphasizes the importance of considering causality and various factors influencing crime. He suggests that instead of comparing crime across cities or states, the data should be utilized to implement preventive measures and further reduce incidents.
Delhi leads in various crimes against women, including rape, with 1,204 cases, representing almost one-third of the 3,635 rapes reported in metropolitan cities. The capital also recorded the highest number of dowry deaths (129), surpassing a third of the total 381 cases in the country.
In one category, however, Mumbai outpaced Delhi, reporting 667 cases of insult to the modesty of women (under IPC section 509), compared to Delhi’s 400 and Kolkata’s 250, out of the total 1,752 cases nationwide.