Is Kolkata Really the Safest City? R.G. Kar Rape Victim's Parents Challenge NCRB Claims

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The NCRB's report claims Kolkata is the safest city in India.
- The victim's parents challenge the credibility of these findings.
- They highlight the gap between reported statistics and real-life safety concerns.
- Recent incidents raise questions about public safety in the city.
- Calls for better accountability and comprehensive crime reporting are emphasized.
Kolkata, Oct 4 (NationPress) The parents of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital victim have vehemently contested the recent findings from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which designated Kolkata as the safest city in India.
The NCRB report indicates that for 2023, Kolkata has the lowest cognisable crime rate per lakh individuals, marking the fourth consecutive year of this distinction.
During a press interaction on Saturday, the parents of the R.G. Kar victim dismissed this claim, asserting that the report lacks thorough field investigation and seems to be crafted to appease certain interests.
"Was my daughter safe at her workplace? And what about the senior citizen in Kultali, South 24 Parganas, who fell victim to gang-rape just this week? No one here is safe. It appears the report was generated in an office, far removed from reality, without any proper ground research," stated the victim's mother.
The father added skepticism regarding the NCRB's credibility in compiling such reports.
"I have no idea who in the NCRB is responsible for this. Even if I were to accept that Kolkata is the safest city, what does that suggest about the safety in other Indian cities? I suspect the NCRB may have been misled, leading to this report's conclusion," he expressed.
He further noted that the police in Kolkata likely do not document a significant number of complaints from the public, resulting in artificially low crime statistics.
"We have come to understand the true situation since our daughter’s incident. Many likely share similar experiences," he concluded.
According to the latest NCRB data, Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people in 2023, the lowest among 19 major cities.