Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

Crimes against women and children rising

Staff Reporter

"Crimes are committed because society remains mute witness"

CHENNAI: Be alert. This itself can prevent crime and victimisation. This was the message speakers conveyed at a meeting organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Tamil Nadu chapter.

The number of crimes against women and children besides cyber-related offences were on the rise, as society remained a mute spectator, said E. Dasaradhan, chairman of the institute. While one property-related crime was committed every minute, crime against women was committed every three minutes.

Mute witness

Also, violence of some sort broke out every three minutes in the country, he noted. Crimes were committed because society remained a mute witness. This is a worst-case scenario as the country had only 122 police personnel for a population of one lakh.

Letika Saran, Commissioner of Police, Chennai, said when a person knew that the risk of being caught and punished had been low, the desire to commit crimes was more. She said the provisions in Criminal Procedure Code where Sections 37-40 provided for people's participation in preventing crime.

"The law enjoins society to participate actively. We have had the cooperation of people in Chennai," she said giving an example of Lakshmi Nagar Colony in Nanganallur where residents took up night patrolling and prevented crime for over 30 years.

Among the people-police initiative were the Boys' Clubs near slums, the Road Safety Patrol and the Citizens for Safe Roads involving over 3,000 students and 500 traffic wardens, she said.

A.K. Venkatasubramanian, former secretary to Government of India, said quick and adequate punishment, education on civic sense and collective participation of citizens would help.

The seminar was organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Tamil Nadu chapter and the Department of Public Administration, Meenakshi College for Women.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Court upholds Act to protect interests of depositors
"Business models are not based on definitions"
Rs. 30,000-crore petrochemical park proposal gets High Court nod
Reflux common among youngsters, say experts
State leads in immunisation coverage, says Minister
Baalu offers Rs. 2 crore for language laboratories
Stalin gives credit to State policies for creation of job opportunities
`Cottage Mela' showcases skills of artisans from across the country
National-level technical symposium from March 7
Crimes against women and children rising
Book brings out compassion in religion
Villivakkam residents air civic grievances
Minister warns hospitals against kidney racketeering
Outside State experience no disqualification: court
Don't cloud budget with secrecy: Krishnamurthy
Judiciary needs financial autonomy: Justice Lakshmanan
DTH companies come up with offers for World Cup
Tamil comedy as fund-raiser
Call for code to regulate advertisements
Software production unit in the works
Rice stock position comfortable in State
CB CID initiating steps to attach property of Yobu Saravanan
Trinity College of Music honours students, teachers
A platform for cultural exchange
Electoral rolls verification
VCDs, DVDs seized
Vijay TV reschedules telecast time
Tata Indicom launches Internet facility
Telecast time rescheduled
In Black and White
Mobile phone bills in Tamil
Chennai students excel in quiz contest
Around the City
In Chennai Today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu