Shah Abbas
SRINAGAR
J&K home ministry on Tuesday informed the state legislature that there are more cases of rapes and molestations of women registered against the security forces and the police than insurgents. The trend is exhibited by the statistics offered for both the provinces of Kashmir and Jammu.
The government said it has registered 5125 cases of rapes – 2601 in Kashmir and 2524 in Jammu, between 1989 and 2003. In the same period, 14953 cases of molestations were registered – 12215 in Kashmir and 2738 in Jammu province.
While security forces have 70 rape cases (41 in Kashmir and 29 in Jammu), it has 55 cases of molestations ( 44 in Kashmir and 11 in Jammu). Police has 59 rape cases against its personnel (15 in Kashmir and 44 in Jammu) and 34 in molestation cases (12 in Kashmir and 22 in Jammu). Surrendered militants molested nobody but have three rape cases including two in Kashmir, according to the government response.
In comparison, there are seven cases of rape registered against militants – four in Kashmir and three in Jammu, besides three cases of molestations including two in Jammu.
Most of these crimes are registered against others indicating they are civilians. There are 14861 cases of molestations – 12158 in Kashmir and 2793 in Jammu. The number of rapes against the civilian population was 4986 which included 2540 in Kashmir and 2446 in Jammu.
As for as disposal of the cases is concerned, the government said in its response to the lawmaker Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami that 664 rape allegations and 782 molestations registered between 1989 and 2003 were not admitted at all. Cases not admitted traced were 65 rapes and 115 molestations. While 159 rape cases and 557 molestation cases are under investigation, total number if cases have challenged before the courts include 4237 rapes and 13499 molestation cases. Conviction has taken place in 579 cusses, the response from the state home ministry said.
People are afraid to register cases against militants and that is the reason for low registrations