Delhi Remains Unsafe for Women: Alarming Rise In Crimes Revealed By NCRB Data

Delhi, despite being a major metropolitan city, continues to be one of the least safe places for women in India, with an average of three reported rape cases per day. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2022 reveals that there were 14,158 crimes against women in the city, showing a slight increase from the 13,982 cases reported in 2021. This translates to 186.9 crimes against women per 100,000 people in Delhi, accounting for nearly 29.04% of the total 48,755 crimes against women reported in 19 major cities across the country. This alarming statistic suggests that the efforts of law enforcement authorities in creating a secure environment for women in the capital are not proving effective.

Surprisingly, Jaipur emerges as the most unsafe city in India for women, with a crime rate of 239.3 incidents per 100,000 people and 3,479 reported crimes against women in 2022. In response to the high crime figures in Delhi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Suman Nalwa attributes the numbers to the diligent registration of crimes by the police force. She explains that complainants are not turned away at any police station, and senior officers regularly monitor the status of filed complaints. Nalwa also highlights the practice of filing Zero FIRs for cases involving complainants from other states, which are then transferred to the respective states for resolution.

However, some experts caution against interpreting the rankings solely based on NCRB data. Braja Kishore Singh, a former joint commissioner of Delhi Police now practicing law at the Supreme Court, emphasizes the importance of considering various factors leading to a crime, and thus, rankings may not always provide a fair assessment. Singh encourages using crime data for preventive measures and addressing the root causes rather than making city-to-city or state-to-state comparisons.

Delhi leads in various categories of crimes against women, including rape, with 1,204 cases accounting for almost one-third of the total reported in metropolitan cities. The city also records the highest number of dowry deaths (129), comprising over a third of the national total. However, in cases of insult to the modesty of women under Indian Penal Code section 509, Mumbai surpasses Delhi with 667 reported cases compared to Delhi's 400, indicating variations in crime patterns across different cities.