Rajasthan Police data refutes Ashok Gehlot’s claim of rising rape-murder cases, shows decline in two years

(Express)

Speaking on the sidelines of the Congress protest against price rise, Gehlot had said: “Girls are being raped and since the death penalty was introduced for accused, after Nirbhaya… a lot of girls are being murdered. The rapist fears that tomorrow she will become a witness against me.” The CM had added: “So the accused rapes and also murders the girl. I can see this in reports coming from across the country, this is a very dangerous trend.”

According to the Rajasthan Police data for the past five years, rape-murder cases constitute only around 0.45 per cent of the total number of rape cases registered during this period.

Data shows Rajasthan saw a total of 17 rape-murder cases between March and December 2017. The figure rose to 22 in 2018 and 31 in 2019.

However, since 2020, there has been a decrease in the figure. From 31 in 2019, the rape-murder cases in the state went down to 25 in 2020 and 21 in 2021. Till August this year, 14 such cases have been registered, the police data reveals.

Similarly, the police data shows the number of rape cases registered in Rajasthan over the last five years between 2017 and June this year stands at 28,901 – 3305 cases in 2017, 4335 cases in 2018, 5997 cases in 2019, 5310 cases in 2020, 6337 cases in 2021, and 3617 cases between January to June 2022.

The 130 rape-murder cases reported in Rajasthan between March 2017 and August 2022 constitute only 0.45 per cent of the total 28,901 rape cases registered in the case in the last five years in the state, the data reveals.

Also, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on rapes across the country, specifically “murder with rape/ gangrape”, since 2017 shows such crimes make up less than 1 per cent of total rapes in the country annually. The NCRB data also shows the increase in this category has been marginal.

The Opposition BJP had called Ashok Gehlot’s statement ‘unfortunate and shameful.’ Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal had condemned Gehlot’s statement and said the morale of every victim breaks because of such statements by politicians.