'Failed live-in relationships leading to rape cases'

New Delhi: Failed relationships leading to separation of live-in partners and non-fulfillment of promise of marriage despite having physical relation, are major reasons behind rape cases registered by Delhi Police.

At least 25 per cent of the total 1,656 rape cases registered so far by Delhi Police have been because of terminated live-in partnerships or refusal to marry, said B S Bassi, Commissioner of Police.

A total of 1,656 rape cases have been registered by the police up to September 30 this year. These included 25.31 percent (419) cases in which the accused were in live-in relationship or refused to marry, reveals Delhi Police data.

With growing population, the number of rape cases and its nature have also changed. As per Delhi Police data, number of rape cases per 1 lakh people in the national capital averaged 3.09 in 2010 while uptill September 2015 this average increased to 12.21 cases.

As far as victim-accused relationship is concerned, friends or family's friends figure in the highest number of rape cases registered in the city.

A total of 644 rape cases (38.89 per cent) involved accused as victim's friends or friends of her family, registered by police till September 30 this year.

Neighbours and relatives were accused in 281 and 233 cases respectively, the data showed.

Safety and security is a priority of Delhi Police and it has ensured that no crime against women goes unreported, Bassi said.

"We focus on professional investigation of such cases. Of the total of 1,656 rape cases registered till September 30, we worked out 1,260 cases. The number of cases which were worked out within a week of FIR were 781 while 186 cases were worked out in a couple of weeks," he said.