According to the annual report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2017, Uttar Pradesh topped the list of states with around 56,011 cases of crimes against women. On the other hand, Assam has the highest total rate of crime registered, with a total of 1,772 cases of rape being reported.
Maharashtra followed Uttar Pradesh with 31,979 cases and West Bengal with 30,002 cases.
The definition of ‘crime against women‘ involves murder, rape, dowry death, suicide abetment, acid attack, cruelty against women and kidnapping, according to the report.
A total of 32,559 cases of rape were recorded across India, out of which 10,221 involved minor victims. Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of rape cases at 5,562.
More than 3.5 Lakh cases of crimes against women were registered across India in 2017. The latest data of NCRB shows a continuing with the upward trend for the third consecutive year.
If you look at the “trend” in 2015, over 3.2 lakh cases of crimes against women were registered, and the number just increased hence after. As per the records, India registered a 6.16% rise in crimes against women in 2017 when compared to 2016.
As per the reports, “majority of cases of crimes against women were registered under ‘Cruelty by Husband or his Relatives’ (27.9 per cent) followed by ‘Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty’ (21.7 per cent), ‘Kidnapping & Abduction of Women’ (20.5 per cent) and ‘Rape’ (7.0 per cent).”
Lucknow is the most unsafe city wherein for every one lakh women, 178 of them were on the receiving point of crimes in the city in 2017.
Ironically, Delhi continued to live up to its expectation of being the city with the highest number of crimes against women. Even though it stands second in the rate of crime, Delhi has actually registered a downward trend.
In 2015, there were 14,766 crimes against women, while in 2016, the number stood at 13,803. It further reduced in 2017. In terms of the number of crimes, Mumbai followed Delhi with 5,453 cases and Bengaluru with 3,565.
The statistics highlight the weak law and order condition in the country with 3.59 lakh cases of crime recorded against women in 2017.
Experts say that the figures from UP and MP have risen as more families kept aside the stigma related to the rape cases. They were ready to bring the matter in front of the police.
The record also shows the safest states for women with regards to the low number of crimes. Nagaland bagged the first position were only seven women had to face crimes for every one lakh of them. Moreover, it is the state with the lowest number of rapes in 2017 with ten reported cases. It is followed by Sikkim (17) and Mizoram (25).
The data was issued after a delay of more than a year, raising several suspicions from the various parties. They sited that the delay in the announcement of these reports defeats the purpose of compiling them.
What India needs is more strict regulation, faster closure of the case, a corruption-free system for not distorting the facts, and –most importantly, parents to teach their sons how to behave to a girl.
