Delhi unsafe for women because of surrounding areas: Ex-CP Neeraj Kumar

New Delhi: The perception about Delhi being an unsafe city for women is correct to an extent, said Neeraj Kumar, during whose tenure as police commissioner the brutal December 16 gangrape had taken place four years ago, triggering countrywide protests.

"To a certain extent, that perception (about Delhi being an unsafe city for women) is correct in sheer comparative terms. If you look at it in terms of the socio-economic scenario, the city is surrounded by areas where they have a totally different attitude towards women.

"There are khap panchyats and problems like female foeticide and infanticide that exists in surrounding areas.

The attitude towards women is not like that whether you look at the northeast or Maharashtra or in the south," he opined.

He said his younger daughter has worked in Mumbai and she also has the view that the attitude towards women in Mumbai is different and better there than it is in Delhi. As far as safety is concerned, they have never had a bad experience in New Delhi, he added.

In a manner of speaking, the Delhi gangrape case did bring out several changes, he opined.

"The police has by and large become more responsive. The general tendency earlier was to dissuade the victims from filing complaints. But now we have a separate desk 'womanned' by a lady personnel to listen to women victims," he opined.

Kumar said that he was part of the cabinet meeting in which it was decided that there should be an enquiry committee set up to look into December 16 Delhi gang-rape.

"In a meeting with the cabinet secretary, it was I who volunteered that there should be an inquiry against the police.

"It was I who said that the public should know that the government was being responsive towards their protest and it should order an inquiry. It should also form a committee to look at rape laws," he said.

Often when rapes happen, creative mediums like films and songs are blamed. Kumar, himself, has been associated with films and had recently worked as a story consultant on Jai Gangaajal.

"They do have an impact in the way heroes go after heroines and the way they stalk them. But then again there also things are changing. You have women-dominated movies like Queen.

"Slowly, society is changing. But it will take lot of time for these things to go. Many people still want a son. You should ask them why? How are girls any different? I have two girls and I have never felt that I should have had a son," he said.