CHENNAI: Denying the opposition charge that rape cases were on the rise in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday said investigations have proved that most of the cases were filed on exaggerated claims and in some cases, the women concerned had lodged such complaints when their male friends refused to marry them.
Replying to the discussion in the Assembly on the demand for grants for the Police Department, she said according to a recent SC verdict only incidents which took place against the consent of women could be taken as ‘rape’.
During 2013, though 953 cases were registered as ‘rape cases’, 425 of them related to an affair on mutual consent. When the men refused to marry, the women proceeded to file a ‘rape’ complaint and these, in reality, could not be counted as ‘rape incidents’, she pointed out. Similarly, 84 more cases were filed on the similar grounds.
On 53 ‘rape complaints’, police found them to be related to molestation, etc., which were exaggerated. While 23 cases were found wrongly filed, four cases were related to ‘attempt to rape cases’. As such, only 332 cases had actually come under the head ‘rape complaints’.
Recalling the 13-point action plan evolved by her to prevent crimes against women and the 37-point guidelines set by her for the safety of the women staying in hostels, the Chief Minister said with this intention highest number of women police personnel have been engaged in Tamil Nadu.