Delhi sees 158 percent increase in rape cases: Police

New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) As many as 463 rape cases have been registered at various police stations in Delhi in the first four and a half months of 2013, indicating an increase of 158 percent over the same period last year, Delhi Police said Monday.

There has been at least a 600 percent rise in molestation cases while 783.67 percent more harassment cases have been noted in the same period, said an officer.

Last year, as many as 179 rapes, 139 molestations and 49 cases of harassment were registered till April 15.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar contended that rapes are "opportunist crimes" in which maximum perpetrators were people known to the victim.

"97 percent cases happened within the house while in only three percent of cases, the involvement of strangers have been found, including the Dec 16 gang-rape," he said at a press conference here.

"It is not possible to prevent rapes, if a neighbour or person known to the victim is involved in the crime," he added.

Delhi Police figures said that friends/lovers were involved in 178 of the recorded rape cases, neighbours in 115, employers in 15, fathers in 10, ex-husbands in 9, father-in-laws in 2, step-fathers in 2, cousins in 5, tenants in 3, instructors in 3, doctors in 2 and occult practitioner in one.