AHMEDABAD: In Gujarat, reported cases of women being molested have exhibited an upward trend. The figures indicate a 7% increase from 1,095 cases in 2020-21 to 1,181 cases in 2021-22, followed by a further rise of 4.9% to 1,239 cases in 2022-23.
Responding to a query from Congress MLA Anant Patel on September 14 in the Gujarat Assembly, the Home Department confirmed 1,075 cases in 2020-21, 1,181 in 2021-22, and 1,239 in 2022-23, totaling 3,515 incidents over three years.
Notably, Ahmedabad, a key city, recorded the highest number of incidents, with 205 cases in 2020-21, 223 in 2021-22, and 220 in 2022-23. Conversely, Dang district, with a tribal population, reported minimal cases—3 in 2020-21, 0 in 2021-22, and 5 in 2022-23. Tapi district followed with 2, 5, and 2 cases in the same period.
Despite the Gujarat government’s claims about prioritising women’s safety, the statistics reveal a stark reality. Patel pointed out a substantial increase in molestation cases in Surat in 2022-23, even with the State home minister hailing from the city.
Surat reported 77, 85, and 121 cases in the respective fiscal years. Congress MLA Anant Patel, in a conversation with this newspaper, said, “These are reported cases that have been registered in the police station. There are many instances that go unreported because of the stigma attached.”
In the state assembly, it was disclosed that the state capital Ahmedabad saw 1,146 criminals caught for molestation, with five still at large. In Surat, 368 were apprehended, and none remain elusive, while Vadodara saw 217 arrests, with six fugitives.