In India, no one goes to jail in 7 out of 10 rape cases, know the frightening truth

New Delhi: The whole country is angry over the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata. Everyone is demanding the harshest punishment for the accused. But it has often been seen that it takes a long time for the accused to get punishment in rape cases. Due to delay in investigation, the trial goes on for years. The accused get the benefit of the long legal process. It has been seen many times that even after the trial is completed, the accused do not get punishment and they are easily acquitted.

Rape cases remain stuck in investigation

There are major challenges in investigating and prosecuting crimes against women in India. Around 45,000 rape cases were handed over to the police in 2022, but charge sheets were filed in only 26,000 cases. This number was even less than the number of incidents reported in 2022. According to the report, around 32,000 cases of rape were registered with the police in 2022. However, more than 13,000 cases pending from previous years were already under trial, leaving the police with the burden of investigating about 45,000 cases. But in terms of prosecuting the culprits, charge sheets were filed in only about 26,000 cases in 2022. This was less than 60% of the cases they were supposed to investigate and even less than the number of incidents reported in 2022. This problem is not limited to rape cases alone, but is observed in all 11 categories of crimes against women that have been analysed. This shows that there is a dire need for effective laws and judicial processes to deal with crimes against women in India.

After all, what is the reason behind delay in justice?

Legal experts say that the quality of investigation and pendency of rape cases in courts is the real reason why in most cases the accused are either acquitted or the cases do not even reach the court. In 2022, there were about 2 lakh cases to be heard in the courts, including the pending cases of previous years. However, only a little more than 18,000 cases could be heard, which is even less than the number of FIRs and police charge sheets filed that year. Ultimately, the conviction rate of 27.4% in rape cases means that 7 out of every 10 accused were acquitted.

The rate of crime against women is the highest

One out of every 1500 women in India is a victim of some crime every year. This figure is from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). According to the NCRB, the crime rate against women in 2022 was 66.4 per lakh. That is, 66.4 crimes were committed against every one lakh women. But in some states this figure is much higher than the national average. Delhi has the highest crime rate against women. Here about 150 crimes were registered against every one lakh women. That is, one out of every 700 women became a victim of some crime. On the other hand, the north-eastern states are the safest for women. Except Assam, the crime rate against women in these states is lower than the national average. NCRB figures show that crimes against women are a serious problem in India. However, it is important to note that these figures are only of registered cases. Many cases do not even reach the police.

Where does the problem arise in getting justice?

Research shows that catching the criminal is more important than giving harsh punishment to prevent crime. In India, even after the criminals are caught, the conviction rate is low due to delays and difficulties in the legal process. Witnesses turn hostile, evidence is destroyed, and victims withdraw cases due to social pressure. In 2022, about 4.5 lakh cases of crime against women were registered, that is, more than 50 crimes against women every hour. But reporting such cases can be difficult in some states due to social norms and pressure, while other states have better policing and awareness.