Over 9,000 held for rape, molestation, says Delhi Police

New Delhi: The Delhi police has arrested more than 9,000 accused involved in rape and molestation of women and minors from 2016 till August this year. 

According to police statistics, more than 2,500 cases of rape and molestation with minors were registered during this period, while 3,672 accused were arrested on rape charges. This apart, 6,000 people were booked for molestation. 

A police official, on condition of anonymity, said in 2016 as many as 902 cases of rape with the minors were registered with the different police stations across the city. 

The official said that apart from rape cases, the police had also registered 918 cases of molestation with minors in 2016. This year till August, the Delhi police has registered 629 cases of rape and 482 cases of molestation. In most of the cases, the police acted swiftly and the accused were immediately arrested. The police department conducted “good investigation” in all  these cases, he said. 

In one of the cases, the police arrested a British national from South Delhi who had allegedly sexually harassed visually impaired children from a blind hostel. A peon was also arrested in the case. 

The police records revealed that in most of these cases, the accused was known to the victims. 

In 2016, the police registered a total of 2,155 rape cases and 4,165 molestation cases, while in the year 2017, the police have lodged 1,400 cases of rape and 2,000 cases of molestation. 

A senior police officer said whenever any sexual harassment victim/s approached the police, “we register an first information report and take the victim for counselling with any NGO.”