Uttar Pradesh remains in the news for all the wrong reasons, notching up distinctions which are mostly dubious. This time the state seems to be setting a record of sorts with over a thousand rape cases being reported in the last five months.

The figure is neither imaginary nor part of political rhetoric. The startling disclosure was made by the Akhilesh Yadav government itself in the UP Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) on Tuesday.

In the past five months, 1,012 cases of rapes and 4,520 of harassment of women have been registered in Uttar Pradesh, the government stated in the House.

"From March 15, 2016 to August 18 this month, 1,012 cases of rapes, 4,520 cases of women harassment, 1,386 of loot and 86 cases of dacoity have been reported in the state," the government said in a written reply to a question by BJP member Satish Mahana in the state Assembly.

For an effective check on such incidents, crime branch has been constituted in every district under Additional SP (Crime), it said. The reply said that hotspots of crime were being identified through web-based crime mapping, and effective patrolling is ensured.

The assurances might sound hollow with rape cases in the state having spiked three times between 2014 and 2015 as per the statistics of the UP State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB).

During this period, incidents of attempt to rape also went up by 30 per cent. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report “Crime in India 2014” also describes UP as one of the least safe states for women along with West Bengal, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

However, the government seems to be stricken by the ostrich syndrome, with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav blaming the media for tainting the state over rape incidents. The approach was very much on show as Yadav spoke at an official function here on Tuesday.

“The gang-rape in Bulandshahr grabbed national headlines whereas similar cases in Guragaon and Delhi do not get highlighted,” he said. “According to media reports, it’s as if anyone who goes out on the street would be looted,” he remarked.

UP State Commission for Women chairperson Zareena Usmani admits crime against women has risen in UP but adds a specious justification. “Yes the number of cases has gone up. But the positive aspect is that it’s because more and more women are coming out to report the cases as the government has inspired confidence,” she says. “The police have also taken swift action in most cases,” she asserts.

Says former UP director general of police KL Gupta: “The first response of the police in most rape cases is to suppress the matter. This tendency is very common in UP police men and only emboldens criminals.”

Former Lucknow University V-C and social activist Roop Rekha Verma seems to nail the matter as she says: “The main thing is that now there is an impression that one could easily go unpunished.”

Recent data released by UP State Crime Records Bureau show that rape cases have gone up from 3,467 in 2014 to 9,075 in 2015 which is a 161 % spike.

Not just this, even attempt to rape cases have seen a huge hike of 30%.

According to the NCRB 2014 report, while India recorded an increase of 65% in rape cases from 2010 (22,172) to 2014 (36,735), UP recorded an increase of 121% from 2010 (1,563) to 2014 (3,467).