The brutal murder of Infosys employee S Swathi, who was hacked to death at Nungambakkam railway station in Chennai on June 24, was one of five daylight murders reported in the city in June. These incidents have led to intense discussions about whether crime in the Tamil Nadu capital is on the rise. Many Chennai residents, who previously believed that their city was safe, are now unnerved.
“I was so disturbed by the incident that I did not come out of the house for two days,” said P Mahalakshmi, a regular commuter at the Nungambakkam station. “I did not feel like coming to this station. It is very shocking and scary.”
With colleges having just opened for a new academic year, several out-of-town students, who recently enrolled in Chennai’s educational institutions, are in the metropolis now. Understandably, their families are anxious about the safety of these freshers.
Parents anxious
A week into her first year of college, S Janani found that some of her classmates from smaller towns like Tiruchirapalli and Tiruttani were fearful of the prospect of living alone in Chennai. As news of the highly-publicised Nungambakkam station murder reached their homes, anxious parents travelled to the state capital to stay with their daughters for a few days.
These reactions are perhaps normal given that the prime suspect in the gruesome Swathi murder was at large for a week before being apprehended.
But coming off the back of a string of crimes, including the murders of a Right to Information activist, who challenged building violations, and that of a lawyer for the transgender community – both of whom were hacked in public spaces in broad daylight – the media and Opposition parties questioned whether Chennai had lost its reputation as one of the safest cities in India and criticised the state government for not tackling crime seriously.
“There are many antisocial elements and the government is pushing everything below the carpet,” said U Vasuki, member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and general secretary of the All India Women’s Democratic Association. “Only the steps taken by the police and the government, not only in this particular case, but in general for the protection of women, only that will instil confidence among the public.”
What the numbers say
But is Chennai indeed in the throes of a serious law and order problem? Or are these one-off incidents as the police claim them to be?
Data provided by the National Crime Records Bureau, which looks at crimes under the Indian Penal Code, presents a mixed picture. The total number of crimes in Chennai declined marginally in 2014 from a dramatic spike between 2010 and 2011, when crimes increased by almost 96%.
Although this doesn't include crimes registered under various other Acts, such as the state's specific sexual harassment law, it does reflect the general trend of crimes like the murders that have rocked the state.
The crime rate, which is calculated as the number of crimes committed per one lakh population, offer a slightly different picture – they show that the crime rate in Chennai has gradually declined, falling below the 200 mark in 2014.
Over the past 10 years, Chennai has almost always recorded a lower crime rate than the rest of the state Tamil Nadu – a phenomenon that is rare in mega cities. However, the crime statistics might not paint an accurate picture as they rely on population figures collected once in 10 years.
Social issues
Geeta Ramaseshan, a senior advocate in Chennai, said that since several offences are not reported, there is a gap between crime data and the actual situation on the ground.
“There is a greater feeling of fear,” emphasised Ramaseshan. “One reason is that there is a huge women’s workforce that is actually pushing the boundaries and working long hours well into the night – be it IT or retail or any sector. But misogynistic social norms cannot accept these changes. That is one reason why crimes of this kind are committed.”
The fact that the five June murders in Chennai occurred in broad daylight and in public spaces makes it clear that the perpetrators of these crimes did not fear law enforcement agencies. At the same time, it’s evident that to regain the tag of a safe city, the people of Chennai may have to address the root causes of these murders, be it systemic corruption or regressive views about a woman’s role in a rapidly-changing society.
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