Bhubaneswar: Violence against women surged by an alarming 139% in Bhubaneswar in 2025, painting a grim picture of women’s safety in the capital city. In contrast, neighbouring Cuttack— part of the twin city commissionerate police system — recorded a 9.8% decline in such cases, according to official data.Crimes including rape, attempted rape, molestation, sexual harassment, abduction, eve-teasing, stalking, public disrobing, refusal to marry after sexual relations, and dowry-related offences all registered sharp increases in Bhubaneswar last year compared to 2024.Police statistics reveal that 485 cases of crimes against women were reported in Bhubaneswar in 2024, which skyrocketed to 1,159 cases in 2025. In Cuttack, the numbers fell from 1,222 in 2024 to 1,102 in 2025.A deeper analysis shows mixed trends across Odisha. While rape cases statewide dipped slightly—from 3,054 in 2024 to 2,994 in 2025—Bhubaneswar bucked the trend, rising from 149 cases in 2024 to 170 in 2025. Cuttack, however, saw a decline from 103 to 80 cases during the same period.Many women attribute the spike in Bhubaneswar to poor policing and lack of visible deterrence. Police officials, however, argue that the rise reflects greater reporting and transparency rather than worsening safety.“Harassment of women in public spaces remains alarming in Bhubaneswar,” said Sadhana Tripathy, a women’s rights campaigner, citing findings from the National Annual Report & Index on Women’s Safety (NARI) 2025, which surveyed 31 cities nationwide. “Women continue to be targeted by hooligans in public places. Police visibility must improve significantly,” she said.Defending their record, a senior police officer said: “We welcome free and fair registration of cases rather than suppressing crimes. Our response and follow-up actions have been swift, perpetrators have been arrested, and conviction rates have improved.”Replying to BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain’s question in the assembly on Monday, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi reaffirmed his govt’s priority to women’s safety. “With the objective of providing justice to victims, emphasis has been placed on prompt registration of cases, proper investigation, appointment of efficient government advocates and investigating officers, monitoring of trials, and providing compensation to victims along with taking care of their mental health through counselling, rehabilitation, and other measures,” Majhi’s written reply stated.Notably, the govt last year launched the Subhadra Surakhya initiative with a budget of Rs 153 crore. The programme includes strengthening Investigating Units for Crime Against Women (IUCAW) in 29 districts, equipping investigators with laptops and smartphones, and deploying body-worn cameras for police personnel handling such cases. In addition, Odisha Police recently rolled out a statewide initiative to identify and monitor high-risk zones prone to sexual violence.
