Five rape cases reported in past 36 hours in UP: DGP says it happens, it's a routine

Lucknow: Racing ahead of politicians and bureaucrats in putting ridiculous remarks on sexual violence, the Uttar Pradesh police described the rising number of rape incidents in the state as part of the "routine life" and therefore, it should not be blown out of proportion. Talking to reporters on Thursday, UP DGP A L Banerjee said, “..manta hun ghatnaaye ho rahi hai…Har saal mein normal routine hai jisme ghatnaayein hoti rehti hai…isiliye police hai, isiliye administration hai, law and order hai (I admit that such incidents are happening...it happens almost every year as part of normal routine. That is why police, administration, law and order exist)." He also said that the incidents of rape have not found an increase over the last few months, as projected in media, but almost the same as each year. Just after giving out such a controversial statement, the top most level cop met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. His comment came a day after Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil said that even deploying policemen in every household will not help since a majority of rapes happen within the confines of home. Before Patil, Chhattisgarh Home Minister Ramsevak Paikra waded into a controversy by saying that rape happens "by mistake". Talking to news channels, Paikra said that "nobody commits rape on purpose" but it happens "by mistake (dhoke se)". He was responding to questions about the rise in incidents of rape. Earlier, facing heat for failing to control law-and-order situation, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav lost cool when he was asked the rising number of rapes in his state. "Have you faced any problem? You are safe, why are you bothered?" he asked a reporter who sought information on the rapidly increasing cases of crime against women in the state. During an election rally in Moradabad, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav had said the death penalty in rape cases was "unfair" as boys make "mistakes". "Ladkon se aisi galtiyan ho jaati hain to iska ye matlab nahin ki phaansi de di jaye (Boys do make such mistakes but that does not mean that they should be sent to the gallows)," he had said. When our leaders and top cops consider rape and murders just mistakes of boys or part of routine, then criminals are bound to smile. Meanwhile, incidents of rape don’t seem to end in Uttar Pradesh. In a fresh case, policemen in Hamirpur area in the state are accused of raping a woman inside police station premises. It has been learnt that the victim was raped whole night by the cops. In another gruesome incident reported from Moradabad, dead body of a 16-year old girl was found hanging from a tree. The family of the girl alleges that she was raped before getting murdered. One more case of gang-rape was reported from Bharua Samairpur in Hamirpur district where one sub inspector and two constables outraged the modesty of a woman inside the police station. The victim accuses that policemen raped her when she had gone to police station to meet her imprisoned husband.