FAISALABAD, July 29: The abduction of girls, molestation and gang-rape are on the rise in the district as 301 incidents occurred in rural and urban areas during the last one year.

According to statistics gathered by this correspondent, the local police registered 96 rape cases and 205 kidnap-cum-rape cases under hadood ordinance during the period.

Molestation of minor girls, especially in rural areas, has assumed alarming proportion as most of the rape victims were below the age of puberty. Three of them were assaulted so brutally that they died while in quite a few other cases the victims were mauled so ruthlessly that they suffered irreparable psychological and physical damage. Many of them will never be able to become mothers.

In most rape cases, the culprits have not been traced. In 205 cases, the victims were abducted prior to rape, and most of them had eloped on account of frustration or as a result of broken families.

Their motive was to seek the shelter of matrimonial alliance, but the incessant demand from their parents and harassment on part of the police, they were obliged to lodge FIRs on rape charges.

It was observed that most of the victims were employed by landlords and factory owners who were politically and socially influential people. All such victims are unable to register cases with the police for fear of reprisals.

Not even a single NGO working for human rights has raised its voice against the alarming increase in crime against women despite holding scores of seminars and meetings in the city.

SHOT DEAD: Unidentified bandits shot dead a taxi-driver on resistance near Chak 215-RB in the limits of Saddar police station here on Sunday night.