Rape case of Swiss diplomat creates ripples in India

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, October 18, 2003

Rape case of Swiss diplomat creates ripples in India

The rape of a Swiss diplomat on Tuesday in this capital city of India has drawn worldwide attention and is the most recent reminder of how notoriously unsafe the capital is for women.

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The rape of a Swiss diplomat on Tuesday in this capital city of India has drawn worldwide attention and is the most recent reminder of how notoriously unsafe the capital is for women.

The sexual assault on the Swiss diplomat sent shock waves across the capital where people have begun rethinking about country's law and order machinery.

Statistics show that more than one case of rape is reported in the capital every day, while rape cases often go unreported for various reasons and the actual incidence is likely to be considerably higher.

Recent statistics provided by the National Crime Records Bureau reveal that the capital accounts for 35 percent of the reported rape cases in the country.

Expressing outrage at the recent spurt in violence against women in the capital, several women's organizations Thursday asked Indian Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to ensure conviction of rapists under the existing laws instead of "sloganeering" about giving death sentence to such criminals.

On Thursday, a group of women, led by Deputy Speaker of Delhi Assembly Kiran Chaudhary, blocked traffic in protest against increasing incidents of crimes against women in New Delhi.

According to the Hindustan Times, a leading English newspaper, there are 56,343 pending rape cases countrywide. "They can drag on for more than 10 years."

Referring to the rape of a Swiss Diplomat outside the Film Festival venue here, National Women's Federation General Secretary Sahiba Farooqi said the fact that such incidents occurring where an international film festival was taking place underlined the seriousness of the problem.

Later the organizations submitted a joint memorandum to Delhi Police Commissioner R.S. Gupta, demanding thorough investigation of all the cases of rape and criminal assault and stern action against those found guilty as well as against law enforcement officials for dereliction of duty.

The Statesman, another English newspaper in the country, said that foreign diplomats in the city believe Delhi is a dangerous place.

A senior official in the Swiss Embassy said specific instructions have been given to their women staff, living alone in the capital, to be very careful while going out to shopping malls and hotels.

The female staff have been told to avoid driving alone, especially at night, and they have been instructed to get in touch with the embassy in case of emergency.

The rising crime rate in the capital with increased targeting of women has not only created ripples in the tourism and hospitality industry but could also have a possible political fall-out in view of the Delhi Assembly elections due in December.

The recent incidents have left the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party, worried and fears are being expressed that if the Delhi police do not get their act together, the party might have to pay a heavy price as law and order is under the Central Government and directly falls under the jurisdiction of Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.

In the latest development, Delhi police has picked up 10 suspects in connection with the rape of the Swiss diplomat and claimed to be making "fair and fast progress" in the investigations, according to the Press Trust of India.

"It is the kind of horrible thing that can happen in any big city," a diplomat said, and it was "of no extra significance" that she was a diplomat.

Thus, the proper handling of the case is significant in many aspects.

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