On December 16, 2012, a young woman was gang raped in south Delhi and huge mass protests and a demand for strong laws against violence against women was the outcome of this incident. After this demand on public demand a host of laws was added to the Indian Penal Code in 2013 against the offence of stalking.
Now, as per law, if a man follows, tries to foster an interaction with, contacts, or monitors a woman he is charged with offence of stalking under section 354D IPC. But, this law has not proved to be a deterrent.
In the first six months of 2017, 203 men have already been arrested for stalking while 259 cases were registered. A stalker has been arrested every day in Delhi from last 6 months.
At an all-India level, since 2013, the number of FIRs being filed in stalking cases has ben increasing day by day. Approximately, 346 FIRs were pending investigation by policemen in the beginning of 2014. 4,699 and 6,266 stalking cases were registered in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Reasons why stalking continues to grow in India:
The conviction rate for stalking cases continues to fall across India.
According to a report in HT, in 2015, 26% of stalking cases ended in a conviction against 35% in 2014
Women do not come forward to reports such cases; the targets are often picked for their vulnerability.
While arrests are a deterrent, many get bail right away.
According to NCRB data, over 80% of the people accused under the legal section even before the chargesheet is filed are given bail.
