Here's why it would be extremely embarrassing for Delhi to accept the Centre's ``advice'' that all complaints made to the police be filed as FIRs. If FIRs are indeed made mandatory, there would roughly be a 10-fold increase in the city's crime statistics. A study of PCR call records in Delhi reveals that on an average, nearly 20 complaints of snatchings are received every day while more than 10 calls...

Ruchika Girhotra's may be a particularly outrageous example, but things have been getting progressively worse for women in India. Official data shows that crimes against women are rising faster than any other crime. What is worse, investigation of anti-women offences is more tardy than most others. In 2007, the year for which latest data is available from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), seven of the 10 fastest rising crimes...

As a fallout of the Ruchika molestation case, trials in all sexual offences including rape will now be completed within two months as far as possible and all victims will have the right to appeal against a court order, under new amendments to CrPC. The amendments which came into effect yesterday would come as a big relief to complainants as till now only the state could file an appeal against...

From next year, on swearing allegiance to the Queen, all members of Britain’s House of Lords will be required to sign a written commitment to honesty and integrity. Unexceptionable principles, one might say. But, until recently, it was assumed that persons appointed to advise the sovereign were already of sufficient honesty and integrity to do so. They were assumed to be recruited from groups with internalised codes of honour. No...

The police to become more accessible to vulnerable sections of society  4,000 domestic violence cases reported in 2008 PSC to start recruitment process soon Thiruvananthapuram: Police stations in Kerala could soon have women as Station House Officers (SHOs). The State government has sanctioned direct recruitment of women to the post of Sub Inspector of Police in the General Executive Wing of the Police Department. The Kerala Public Services Commission (PSC) is expected...