Crimes against women up by 15%, shows NCRB data

UP accounted for the highest number of crimes against women with 56,083 cases

With as many 1,36,234 cases registered across the country, FIRs of cruelty by husbands or relatives formed the largest chunk of cases of crimes against women in 2021, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed. The rate of crime against women rose a whopping 15 per cent in one year: from 56.5 per cent in 2020 to 64.5 per cent in 2021.

Cases registered under section 498A of the Indian Penal Code for cruelty by husband or his relatives accounted for 31.8 per cent of the total cases. In all, as many as 4,28,278 cases were filed in 2021, up from the 3,71,503 cases filed in the same category in 2020. The report also shows that the crime rate registered per lakh women is 64.5 per cent in 2021, an increase from 56.5 per cent in 2020.

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Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest number of crimes against women with 56,083 cases. Assam, with a crime rate of 168.3 per cent, had the highest crime rate. Among Union Territories, Delhi had the highest number of cases (14,277) as well as the steepest crime rate (147.6 per cent) On the other hand, Nagaland had the least number of cases with 54 cases and a crime rate of 5.1 per cent.

Cases filed under assault on women with an intent to outrage her modesty accounted for 20.8 per cent of the cases; as many as 90,675 cases. Of these, 3857 were cases of minor girls. There were as many as 31,677 cases of rape filed in 2021, accounting for 7.4 per cent of the total cases, and 3,033 were cases of minor victims.

Disturbingly, there were 52,836 cases filed under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) where the victims were minor girls. Of these, 33,036 were cases of rape filed under section 4 and 6 of the POCSO Act or sec 376 of the IPC.

There were 2,597 cases of cybercrime filed in 2021, and Odisha (565), Assam (432) and UP (276 ) had the highest cases.