Bangalore : Deputy Chief Minister R Ashoka told the Legislative Council that the police had registered 15,612 cases of women missing in the State in the last two years.

Out of this, 12,856 women have been traced, while 2,556 are yet to be traced, he said.

Ashoka was replying to an unstarred question by M C Nanaiah (JD-S). He said 2,424 of the missing cases pertained to kidnap and 18 of those kidnapped were found murdered. In 2012 alone, there were 5,841 cases and the government had been able to trace only 4,307.

Ashoka said special investigation teams had been set up to trace missing women and publicity through multimedia is being given for the purpose.

Nodal officers, starting from police station level to State level, have been given training to keep an eye on human trafficking in co-ordination with the Anti-human trafficking cell under the Criminal Investigation Department, he said.

Replying to a question by JD(S) member B Ramakrishna, he admitted that crimes against women had increased in the State in 2012 compared to the year before.

Ashoka, who is also the Home minister, said in 2012, a total of 11,534 cases including 565 cases of rape were reported, while cases registered in 2011 were 11,114, including 586 cases of rape. Provisions under the Goonda Act would be invoked against those accused of rape, he said, adding this would curb such cases.
He said invoking the Goonda Act provisions would ensure that the accused do not get bail for at least one year.

“This will send a strong message to people who indulge in such acts. Already eight people have booked in rape cases under the Goonda Act.

The aggrieved  women are coming forward to register police complaints. The government has decided to increase the compensation to rape victims from Rs 10,000 to Rs two lakh,” he said.

The guidelines framed by the Supreme Court and High Court had been followed while dealing with crimes against women. At every police station, an officer of the rank of SI or ASI had been appointed as welfare officer to deal with issues related to women, Ashoka said.

Ramakrishna said violence against women get highlighted only if they happen in city limits, while in rural areas such cases go unnoticed.

“Recently, a girl in Tavar­ekere was raped. A friend of her, who rushed to her rescue, was also raped. Victims should be treated equally and given justice at the earliest,” he said.-DH News