1,149 rape cases registered in Odisha till June this year

As many as 1,149 rape cases including 604 involving minors were registered in Odisha in the first six months of this year, Minister of State for Home D S Mishra informed the state Assembly on Monday.

Mishra said this while replying to a written question in the Assembly. He said the rate of conviction in rape cases in the state was 18.35 per cent in the year 2018.

The minister said while 2,502 rape cases were registered in 2018, 1,149 such heinous crimes have been reported during the first six months of 2019.

Of the total 2,502 rape cases reported in 2018, 1,430 cases involved minor girls, Mishra said.

He said of the 2,502 cases of rape, 1073 cases were disposed of in 2018. "While 197 cases ended with conviction, accused persons in 867 cases were acquitted in different courts," the minister said.

As part of the governments steps to book the culprits involved in minor rape cases, the minister said 24 special courts will be set up to deal with cases registered under POCOS (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, 2012.

While replying to the Home department's demand in the Assembly on Friday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had claimed that there was an increase in the rate of conviction in red flag cases in the state. "The rate of conviction in red flag cases was 41.48 per cent under POCOS Act," Patnaik had said.

Odisha government in 2014 had introduced red flag case concept under which minor rape and murder incidents along with other heinous crimes come under this category, a Home department official said.