Rajasthan Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra on Monday said that out of the total registered rape cases in the state, 41 per cent of the cases are found to be false.
Pointing out an irregularity in data in terms of registered rape cases, Mishra said, "Out of total registered rape cases in the state, 41% are found to be false. While at the national level, the percentage of false rape cases is only 8%. This shows that other states either do not register cases or treat them like complaints."
While speaking to reporters during a press conference at the Rajasthan Police headquarters, Mishra said that the average time it takes to investigate a crime against a woman in Rajasthan has fallen from 211 days in 2018 to 69 days in 2022. He also said that the state police are striving toward delivering sensitive, accountable, and transparent police administration to the public. It is a myth, he claimed, that Rajasthan has the highest rate of rape cases in the nation. He said:
According to him, in five POCSO Act/rape instances in 2022, the accused received death sentences as a result of the police's rapid response and thorough investigation. Criminals were given severe jail sentences of up to 20 years in 209 cases.
Mishra stated that the Rajasthani government has prioritised the "uninterrupted registration" of FIRs for complainants beginning in June 2019. This has now yielded fruitful outcomes. The percentage of rape cases registered through the courts for the year 2018 has dropped from 30.5 per cent to just 14.4 per cent.
He said, "Despite foreshadowing the criticism of increasing the registration figure, we did not think of bypassing the policy of uninterrupted registration but tried to strengthen it further. During this period, the police took action against the officers in 18 cases who did not register FIRs."
He also addressed the infamous ranking of Rajasthan in terms of rape cases, "There is also a misconception that Rajasthan ranks first in India in cases of rape, whereas the truth is that Madhya Pradesh ranks first and Rajasthan ranks second. Also, the reason for Rajasthan's second place is 'uninterrupted registration'."