Starting from January 1, 2018, Gujarat reported nearly four rapes every day in the two years. The state reported 2,723 rape cases, of which 41 were incidents of gang-rape, while 35 involved girls younger than five years old.
The state government, in a tabled reply, stating that of the 2,723 rape cases, 1,763 involved victims in the six to 18-year age group.
As per the data in a media report, Surat had the most rape cases involving very young girls, with 13 incidents where the victims were girls younger than five. Surat city was followed by Ahmedabad city, Ahmedabad rural, Rajkot rural and Bharuch with three girls younger than 5 were raped in two years in each of these jurisdictions.
Minister of state for home Pradipsinh Jadeja, in reply to a question from Modasa Congress MLA Rajendrasinh Thakore, said, “Gujarat is not the rape capital of the country. Incident of rapes are just 1.7% of total crimes in the state, which the figure is 12.7% across the country. Gujarat ranks 31st and is among the bottom states in terms of rapes.”The minister said a high-level committee to address crime against women has been formed headed by the ACS (home) which includes the DGP. The committee reviews such cases once a fortnight.
The minister said in cities especially, girls of the 16-18 years age group elope and rape cases are registered in such instances.” The minister said that in the majority of such cases, the families of the girls and boy who had eloped work out a compromise when they return.
For the uninitiated, in the Modasa case where a woman was gang-raped, the minister said that a special investigation team has been formed and the government has arrested three persons.
