Maharashtra records highest number of 24,171 cases in crimes against children; tops charts with 12,994 kidnapping cases in 2024

Mumbai: Maharashtra recorded the highest number of crimes against children in the country in 2024, with 24,171 cases registered during the year, according to an analysis by Child Rights and You (CRY) based on data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The report places Maharashtra ahead of Uttar Pradesh, which recorded 22,222 cases, and Madhya Pradesh, where 21,908 cases were reported during the period.

While Maharashtra reported the highest absolute number of cases, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest crime rate among the top five states at 76.2 crimes per lakh child population, followed by Maharashtra at 66.9.

The analysis also identified Maharashtra as the country’s biggest hotspot for kidnapping and abduction-related crimes against children under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The state registered 12,994 such cases in 2024 — the highest in India.

According to NCRB data, a total of 1,87,702 cases of crimes against children were recorded nationwide in 2024, translating to an average of more than 514 crimes against children every day, over 21 every hour, and nearly one every three minutes.

The report points to a worrying long-term trend, with crimes against children nearly doubling over the past decade. Nationally, the number of recorded cases rose from 89,423 in 2014 to 1,87,702 in 2024 — an increase of almost 110 per cent. Although a temporary decline was seen during the pandemic year of 2020, cases have steadily risen since then, reaching the highest level of the decade in 2024.

The NCRB data also showed an increase in the number of missing children across the country. Cases rose from 1,38,609 in 2023 to 1,47,175 in 2024, marking a 6.2 per cent increase.

Girls continued to remain disproportionately vulnerable. According to the analysis, girls accounted for 75.6 per cent of all missing children nationally in 2024. Missing girls cases increased by 8.4 per cent during the year, while missing boys cases saw a marginal decline of 0.2 per cent.

Adolescents between 16 and 18 years emerged as the most affected age group, accounting for more than half — 51.3 per cent — of all missing children cases recorded nationally.

CRY officials said the data highlights the urgent need to strengthen child protection systems, improve coordination between states and speed up investigation and tracing mechanisms.

“It is time to review and strengthen our existing monitoring and legal systems. Protection of the girl child has remained a priority in public discourse for several years, but unfortunately the trends reflected in the data indicate otherwise,” said Kreeanne Rabadi.

She said governments and civil society organisations must work together to strengthen protection mechanisms for both girls and boys.

The report also called for stronger preventive child protection systems, improved community vigilance and focused interventions for adolescent girls, who continue to remain the most vulnerable segment.

Despite the alarming trends, the report noted that tracing and recovery outcomes had shown some improvement. National tracing rates improved from 64.8 per cent in 2023 to 67.1 per cent in 2024.

According to the analysis, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar and Delhi together accounted for more than half of the country’s total missing children cases, underscoring the regional concentration of the crisis.

Child rights activists said the rising numbers point not only to gaps in law enforcement and social protection systems, but also to deeper socio-economic vulnerabilities, including trafficking risks, child labour, online exploitation and family distress, which continue to place children at risk across urban and rural India.