Spatial Analysis of Crime against Women in Bahadurgarh City

INTRODUCTION

In Indian society, woman is described to occupy a vital position and venerable place. The Vedas glorified women as the mother, the creator and one who gives life and worshipped her as a „Dev‟i or Goddess. But their glorification was rather mythical for at the same time, in India women are found totally suppressed and subjugated in a patriarchal society. Indian women through the country remained subjugated and oppressed because society believed in clinging on to orthodox beliefs for the brunt of violence-domestic as well as public, physical, emotional and mental. The constitution of India guarantees equality, freedom, opportunity and protection to women and various social legislations give them several exclusive rights. Yet, they enjoy an unequal status. Some thinkers related it with social conditions in our society like illiteracy, poverty, social customs, ignorance, and lack of awareness of rights, while others relate it with their personality characteristics like feeling of helplessness, inferiority complex, poor self-image, self-reliance, lack of self-confidence, and resourcefulness. The study is based on the secondary data sources. The data are collected from Bahadurgarh City police station. All data related to crime against women in urban areas has been collected from Bahadurgarh City police at ward level. The data related to urban areas has been collected from. 1. Crime indentified under the Indian penal Code (IPC) and 2. Crime indentify special Laws (SL) In present study, data has been collected under given account: I. Rape (section 376 IPC) II. Kidnapping and Abduction (363 & 366 IPC) III. Dowry Homicide (302 & 304B IPC) IV. Torture: physical and mental (498A IPC)

IPC)

VII. Importation of Girls (366B IPC) VIII. Murder (other than dowry Homicide) (302 IPC)

● The main objective of the study is to make a spatial analysis of crime against women in Bahadurgarh City.

In the present study methodology is based on theoretical, cartographic and statistical techniques. In every geography enquiry, spatial concept occupies the central position in its methodology, where the preparation of a map is the most important tool. The research is based on the analysis of data of police station of Bahadurgarh City. There are three elements to a geographical perspective- geographic description, geographic analysis and geographic prediction. In the present work the spatial distribution of recorded crimes has been mapped. The recorded crimes have been shown in numerical as well as percent of recorded crimes have been calculated with the help of following formula. Crime Percentage = CP = NC /TFCC*100 Where: CP = Crime Percentage of particular crime in Bahadurgarh City NC= Number of Cases of any crime in Bahadurgarh City TFCC= Total cases of crime against women in Bahadurgarh City Present study describes spatial pattern of crime against women in study area. There are eleven categories of crime which come under “crime against women”. However, data at ward level in Bahadurgarh city could be available only for seven categories, i.e. rape, kidnapping, molestation, dowry death, torture (i.e. cruelty by husband or his relatives), murder (except dowry death), and sexual harassment. Due to this reason, the maps are showing the spatial pattern of crime against women at ward level for these categories only. The data shows spatial pattern of crime against women at ward level in Bahadurgarh City. There were 523 cases reported under seven categories of “crime against women”between 2001 to 2014. The cases under rape, kidnapping, dowry death, molestation, importation of girls, torture and murder are 62, 40, 19, 21, 44, 337 and 0 respectively.

Following description has been made under different crimes.

Rape is one of the most damaging and heinous crime. It is the most serious offence against the dignity and modesty of women. Rape is the only crime in which the victim faces more degradation and social unacceptability. It has been often described as a „deathless shame‟or „living death. The data shows that significant difference is found in rape cases between 2001 to 2014 in study area i.e. Bahadurgarh city.

The table 1.2 shows that a total of 62 cases were reported under rape cases. If we see it spatially across the Bahadurgarh city that the maximum

Similarly, ward no. 2, 6 and 9 reported 2 cases each and ward no. 10, 13, 22 and 27 have reported 4 cases each. Similarly, there are variations in proportion of rape in total crimes. It ranges between nil to 29.2% in all wards. Spatially, there is no systematic/regular change in rape cases in study area. There are some wards i.e. ward no. 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 16, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31; where the proportion of rape is nil. It shows that in these wards other crimes against women have increased more. Percentage of rape among total crime is high in wards like 18, 27, 20, 14, 1, 9, 10, 11.

The word kidnapping have been derived from the word „kid „meaning child and „napping‟ to steal. Thus kidnapping literally means child- stealing.

have reported 3 or more than three cases. Ward no. 1, 2, 13, 21 have reported 2 cases each and ward no. 3, 11, 12, 16, 19, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 have reported no case. There are variations in proportion of kidnapping in total crimes. It ranges between nil to 21.4% in all wards. Spatially there is no systematic change in kidnapping cases in study area. There are some wards i.e. ward no. 4, 11, 12, 16, 19, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30; where the proportion of kidnapping is nil. It shows that in these wards other crimes are more. In ward no. 7, the proportion of kidnapping is highest which is 21.4%.

The word 'dowry' is almost synonymous with Indian women's oppression under patriarchal systems. It has been a short cut for indicating low status for women, the argument being that the callous and mundane efficiency of "dowry deaths" indicates the low value of women's labour and the high cost of their marriages, making women a liability for their natal families and a source of lucre for their marital families.

The table 1.4 shows that ward no. 1, 2 and 16 have the maximum cases of dowry deathand ward no. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31 have no case of dowry death. Similarly, ward no. 10, 12, 25 and 27 have 3 dowry death cases each and ward no. 6 and 17 have 1 dowry death case each. Similarly, there are variations in proportion of dowry death in total crimes. It ranges between nil to 15.4% in all wards. Spatially, there is no systematic/regular change in dowry death cases in study area. In ward no. 12, the proportion of dowry death is highest which 15.4% is. There are some wards i.e. ward no. 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 28, 29, 30 and 31; where the proportion of dowry death is nil. It shows that in these wards other crimes are more.

Section 354 IPC defined that, “modesty is an attribute associated with female human being as a class. It is a virtue which attaches a female owing to her sex. The act of pulling a women, removing her sari, coupled with a request for sexual intercourse, is such as would an outrage to the modesty of a women and knowledge, that modesty is likely to be outraged is sufficient to constitute the offence without any deliberate intention having such outrage alone for its object.”

The above table 1.5 shows that the highest cases of molestation were reported in ward no.14 (6 cases). Similarly, ward no. 6 and 9 have 2

25, 26, 28, 29 and 30 have no case of molestation. There are variations in proportion of molestation cases in total crimes. It ranges between nil to 35.3% in all wards. Spatially, there is no systematic/regular change in molestation cases in study area. There are many wards i.e. ward no. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30; where the proportion of molestation is nil. It shows that in these wards other crimes are more. In ward no. 14, the proportion of molestation is highest which is 35.3%.

The torture is a kind of domestic violence, which is not merely physical but can be mental, emotional or sexual. It is a kind of violence about which all know but see seldom because it occurs behind the façade of normally and decency. It is a kind of violence, though which other members of the family besides husband either may remain mute spectator or may even actively encourage violence, the neighbors regard it as a private problem between the couples and women‟s own family seem to accept the situation passively and advise their daughter, sister to return to their violent husband or his relatives due to social reasons.

The table 1.6 shows that total 337 torture cases were found which is very high in comparison to other crimes. The highest cases of torture were reported in ward no. 2 (21 cases) and ward no. 5 (21 cases). The lowest cases of torture were reported in ward no. 29 (1 case), ward no. 27 (1 case) and ward no. 30 (3 cases). Thus, the maximum cases of torture were found in ward no. 2, 5, 16 and 21. Similarly, there are variations in proportion of torture in total crimes. It ranges between 7.1% to 100% in all wards. Spatially, there is no systematic/regular change in torture cases in study area. There are some wards i.e. ward no. 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30; where the proportion of torture is 100%. One fact is that the incidence and proportion of torture is higher than other crimes.

of crimes involving trafficking of girls, women and children for sexual exploitation or for financial gains or exploitation of trafficked. The Victims are lured or abducted from their homes and subsequently forced to work against their wish through various means in various establishments, indulge in prostitution or subjected to various types of indignities and even killed or incapacitated for the purposes of begging and trade in human organs.

The table 1.7 shows that total 44 cases of importation of girls were found in 2001-2014. The highest cases of importation were reported in ward no. 7 (5 cases) and ward no. 6, 10 and 13 (4 cases each). The minimum cases of importation were reported in ward no. 4, 9, 14, 16, 17, 22, 25, 26 and 31 (1 case each). In ward no. 3, 8, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30; no case was found. There are variations in proportion of importation of girls in total crimes. It ranges between nil to 17.9% in all wards. Spatially, there is no systematic change in importation of girls in study area. In ward no. 7, the proportion of importation of girls is highest to the other wards which is 17.9%. There are some wards i.e. ward no. 3, 8, 11, 12, 19, 20, 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30; where the proportion of importation of girls is nil. It is understood that in these wards other crimes are more.

● The wards which are more prone to crime against women should be given priority so that crime against women may be reduced. ● Responsible organizations should make widely available and fully publicize information on the existence of national, regional and international mechanisms for seeking redress when the human rights of women are violated. ● All appropriate measures should be taken to ensure to women, married or unmarried, equal rights with men in the field of political, economic and social life.

Ahuja. Ram (1998). Violence against women, Rawat Publication, Jaipur and New Delhi. Anand, Meenu (2014). “The Gender of Violence: Understanding the Metaphysics of Power and Identity.” Women‟s Link 20(2): PP. 3-10. Sood, Sushma (1990). Violence against Women, Arihant Publication: Jaipur. Jain, Shashi Prabha and Mamta Singh (2001). Violence against women, Radha Publication: New Delhi.

Research Scholar at Department of Geography, JJTU, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan neerajrani26111991@gmail.com