Nagpur: Women’s safety appears compromised in the Second Capital of the State, as the city witnessed the highest number of rape incidents in the past decade in 2023. A staggering 252 (till December 23) women fell victim to this heinous crime, as revealed by data compiled by Nagpur Today. This surpasses the previous record of 250 incidents in 2022.
Since the lockdown, rape incidents have seen a disturbing rise in the city. In 2020, 172 such incidents were reported, increasing to 234 in 2021 and reaching a grim milestone of 250 in 2022. However, within just one year, this number has been surpassed, putting the safety of women in Nagpur city under scrutiny.
The breakdown of rape incidents is as follows: 90 in 2013, 116 in 2014, 178 in 2015, 173 in 2016, 166 in 2017, 158 in 2018, 183 in 2019, 172 in 2020, 234 in 2021, and 250 in 2022, 252 till December 23, 2023.
The police attribute the increase to transparency in policing and immediate cognizance taken by Nagpur Police in lodging FIRs.
It’s worth noting that, besides rapes, incidents of molestation are also prevalent in Nagpur city. Up until November 2023, a total of 474 women experienced molestation, averaging to three women being molested every two days in 2023.
Nagpur has also witnessed a concerning rise in murder cases in the first ten months of 2023 (69) compared to 2022 (65). More shockingly, 34 of these murders in 2023 result from love, illicit affairs, and minor arguments, according to the police.
– Shubham Nagdeve
