Villupuram tops crime list

CHENNAI: Villupuram is the most unsafe district in the state, recording the maximum number of rapes, kidnappings and riots in 2009. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for the year shows that though the district recorded fewer incidents of theft, robbery, burglary and cheating, it registered 62 rape cases, 80 kidnappings and 223 incidents of rioting.
"One of the main reasons for this is the high population of Villupuram. Being one of the largest districts in the state with a population of 30 lakh, the region has a high incidence of crime. Districts like Ariyalur have only one third the population of Villupuram," district collector Dr R Palanichamy said. He said that the geographical location also contributed to the high crime rate in the district.
Human rights activists, however, said enforcement of law and order was poor in the state, with cases of rape getting almost no response from the police. "Often, police try to pacify the victim, persuading him/her to withdraw the complaint. Even when a case is filed, there is a delay of five days in registering an FIR," said P V Ramesh, head of Makkal Padhukaapu Kazhagam, an NGO. He said the actual number of crimes could be much higher as the NCRB data takes into account only cases registered. There could be many cases where the victims were forced to take back their complaints, he said.
"If you were to record atrocities against scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, Villupuram would have the maximum number of cases. The upper castes dominate the district and the police are unable to do anything about it," he said. The number of incidents would come down drastically if strict punishment is given to those found guilty in cases of rape and kidnapping, he said.
Refuting his claim, Dr Palanichamy said law and order meetings are being conducted regularly every Monday. "We are taking adequate steps to reduce the rate of crime and also irregularities in the system. We are also conducting awareness drives," he said.