Delhi records 17% rise in rape cases: Police chief

The national capital has registered a whopping 17% rise in rape cases this year with 661 such incidents being reported till December 15 as compared to 564 during same period last year.

The figures indicate that more and more women were reporting incidents of crime against them with the police, Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar said here on Friday.

"These numbers are high. (But) contrary to popular belief, more and more women are becoming empowered to lodge or report (such matters)," he told a press conference also attended by Union Home Secretary RK Singh.

In 2010, 489 rape cases were reported, while for 2009 the figure was 459, which showed that such cases were on the rise in the past couple of years. The rise in population also should be taken into account in this regard, Kumar said.

The figure for 2006 was 609 followed by a drop to 581 next year, while in 2008, it further dipped to 466.

According to Delhi police statistics, the incidence of rape per lakh population has shown a steady decline in Delhi, coming down from 4.42 per lakh in 2005 to 3.39 per lakh in 2011. —PTI