Delhi Police’s claims to be taking steps to check crime against women was challenged by Delhi Commission for Women on Thursday after its chief Swati Maliwal wrote to the police chief BS Bassi asking for detailed record of crimes against women in Delhi and how his forces’ had dealt with the culprits.

She was informed through a letter that 7,124 FIRs had been filed but only one culprit was punished, ‘as per Delhi Police’s own admission.’

This admission has been made by Delhi Police in a reply to Swati Maliwal, chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, who had sought the record from Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi.

Although the Delhi Police said they could not provide the record in the tabulated manner as sought by the Delhi Commission for Women, Deepak Mishra, special police commissioner (Law and Order), furnished the record since 2012.

These figures included the number of FIRs registered and the number of people punished for crime against women.

These figures are startling, to say the least. In 2012, 3842 FIRs were lodged and only seven people were punished; in 2013, 9,271 FIRs were registered and only 65 people were punished.

In 2014, 11,209 FIRs were registered and only nine accused were punished.

The police maintain that only 3.5 percent crime against women are committed by strangers while in a huge majority of 96.5 per cent of cases the accused are known to the women.