CHENNAI: High incidence of false and frivolous cases, especially those concerning alleged sexual violence cases against women, has shocked Madras high court .

“So far as the crimes against women are concerned, the statistics shows that in rapes, dowry harassment to married women and outraging modesty of women, the percentage of false cases are 7.4%, 6.6%, 9.6% and 5.8% respectively, said Justice S Nagamuthu .

The statistics would go to show that registration of false cases is phenomenally on the rise, he said, adding: “Those implicated in these false cases suffer in terms of humiliation, loss of money, loss of working hours, loss of mental peace and at last loss of employment as well. Most of the accused implicated in these false cases hail from poor strata of the society, for whom some hearts bleed.”

The judge, making strong observations while dealing with another case of acquittal on Monday, said that as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, the total percentage of false case had risen from 7.55 in 2000, to about 48% in 2012.

“The NCRB in its report on crime in India for the year 2000 has stated that 7.55% of total cases registered in the country are false cases. The latest report for the year 2012 shows that roughly 48% of complaints were frivolous, as the accused were either acquitted by courts or the complaints were found to be false at the investigation stage itself,” Justice Nagamuthu said.