MUMBAI: An increase in crime rate may be a case of concern, but Mumbai has, strangely, seen an increase in the number of women arrested for crime. The number of women arrested increased by 23.1% (3,834 arrests) in 2014, against 3,115 the previous year. The number of men arrested for crime increased only by 22.9% rise in 2014, according to data from a National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report.In all, city police arrested 9,487 women and 1,02,080 men for various offences from 2012 to 2014. Most women were arrested for theft, followed by rioting, grievous hurt, cheating, assault or molestation, burglary and kidnapping, while most men were booked for theft, grievous hurt, burglary , outraging modesty and robbery.Experts felt men and women suffer different types of strain, to which they react differently . This difference, according to one theory at least, explains the divide between male and female criminality. Nevertheless, the NCRB says, arrests of women are on the rise. What is also changing is the nature of crimes by women, from petty offences to serious ones like assault, kidnap and even murder.Among women criminals , Maharashtra tops the country with 95,174 arrested in the last three years, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 64,916 and 56,492 from Madhya Pradesh. Experts felt violence against women has increased and retaliation is common; women are involved more in domestic violence and economic offences.In February , Dadar police arrested Madhvi Tambe (25), who posed as a customs officer and cheated homemakers under the pretext of offering them gold at cheaper rates. Tambe, a Girgaum resident, was cheating people with the same modus operandi since 2012. She was first arrested in Jammu and Kashmir and later moved on to work with an airline but later duped a family she had befriended, of Rs 1crore.In December 2015, Malad police arrested Cecelia D'Souza (54) in connection with the murder of her son Ronald (31). Police said D'Souza plotted the murder with her former driver as her son objected to her affair with the driver.In October 2015, Matunga police arrested a gang of women who broke into houses. Mumbai police spokesperson, DCP Dhananjay Kulkarni, said the trend shows an increase in arrests in both genders. “It has also been noticed that very few women manage to give up crime after release from prison and most turn into hardened criminals. Many form gangs specialising in pick-pocketing, theft and economic offences,“ said Kulkarni.Former IPS officer-turnedlawyer Y P Singh said the trend of women being involved in crimes is on the increase mainly because of financial distress in urban economies. “Traditionally women were involved in prostitution and bootlegging.However, with more urbanisation, women now indulge in cheating, petty thefts, forgery , power broking, etc,“ said Singh.Psychiatrist Dr Harish Shetty said female offenders have lost faith in the social system.“Discrimination within society exists from birth till the last breath in most parts in India. Social disorder is a perfect breeding ground for crime,“ he said.