Mumbai: CM Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said rape and molestation cases have gone up in the state, which he attributed to the amended legal provisions post the Nirbhaya case.
He said crime against women has not declined even after laws were amended in 2013, following the Nirbhaya rape case, noting that “molestation cases are also charged as rape cases”.
Replying to a debate on the home department’s budgetary demands, Fadnavis said govt is working to achieve the target of 75% conviction rate, which improved from 9% in 2013 to 50% in 2024. “If police, judiciary, and the prosecution work in coordination, the conviction rate will increase,” he said, adding that measures like harnessing AI capability, strengthening forensic networks, augmenting quick response and BNS laws will help achieve this target.
“Maharashtra ranks 8th in the crime graph of the country. Not a single city from Maharashtra figures in the top five,” he added. PTI