Nalgonda, Sept. 14: Once known for progressive movements, Nalgonda district is fast deteriorating into an unsafe place for women. Statistics show that there is at least one rape in 13 days.

At least one woman is murdered after being subjected to the cruelty of the rape every 52 days. In most cases, the official activism is limited to registering of a case.

Last year, some 40 rape cases have been registered with the district police. In 1999, there were 38 rape cases.

In Ukondi village of Munugodu mandal, a girl student of Class VII was raped recently. Another mentally challenged beggar woman was raped in the heart of the town. Interestingly, the police did not register any case as no complaint was lodged.

In several cases, apprehensive that the police might release the culprits, the people have taken law into their hands and gave the culprits a sound thrashing. In a sensational case in Devarakonda, the people stripped a local excise official and paraded him naked when he was caught trying to outrage the modesty of a woman.

The official was suspended by the government. In another case in Samsthan Narayanapuram, there were allegations about a tribal woman being raped by jawans of the para-military forces.

The woman was sent to government hospital in Nalgonda for medical examinations. But, the rape could not be proved. Rape cases are reported from Damaracharla, Nalgonda, Garidepalli and Miryalguda mandals.

Most of the rape victims belong to the under-privileged strata of the society and by the time the medical investigations are completed and reports sent, the accused have obliterated the evidence and made the key witnesses turn hostile.

Interestingly, the district has no mahila police station and there are no women even at the sub-inspector level.