Belgaum dist too unsafe for women

BELGAUM: Belgaum district is fast becoming unsafe for women, with cases of rape and molestation on the rise.
According to police information, Belgaum district registered 33 rapes and 192 molestation cases in the past 11 months. Also, 225 cases of rape, molestation and eve-teasing have been registered till November-end. Of the molestation cases, 174 were proved true and police filed a chargesheet in 96 cases.
Most of the rapes were registered in rural areas. On top of the table is Chikkodi with 11 rape cases, followed by Bailhongal (9) and Belgaum Rural (7).
A senior police officer told STOI many cases remained unregistered in rural areas due to the intervention of elders and local leaders. Also, some families didn't dare register a case due to social stigma.
According to SP Sandeep Patil, men consuming liquor at night sometimes provoked them to commit crimes, including rape.
"I have strictly ordered all the officials to close wine shops and bars at the stipulated time," he told STOI.
He also said partially barricading the roads at night helps to tackle drunken driving. "I've called for a meeting of all senior police officials to discuss this and tighten the security arrangements at night," Patil said.