“Assam has retained the top spot in recording the most violent crimes in the country followed consistently by Delhi except in 2020,” the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) information for 2021 has revealed.
The statistics additionally confirmed that Assam has maintained the pattern of recording a rise in such crimes after a dip within the earlier yr.
“But the crime rate of 76.6 cases per one lakh population – a little more than the 73.7 cases in 2020 – does not give the complete picture,” Assam law enforcement officials mentioned. They attributed the determine to the excessive reporting and registration of instances, particularly in crimes towards girls.
An evaluation of NCRB information since 2017 confirmed that Assam led all of the States and Union Territories throughout the nation with 78.6 instances of violent crimes per one lakh individuals adopted by Delhi (60.6) and West Bengal (51.4). The variety of violent instances in Assam and Delhi elevated in 2018 to 86.4 and 63.6 whereas Tripura dislodged West Bengal to take the third spot with 62 instances.
These three States maintained their positions in 2019 however recorded a dip within the violent instances – 83.4 in Assam, 58.2 in Delhi and 53.6 in Tripura.
In 2021, West Bengal ended up second with 51.2 instances behind Assam’s 73.7 with Delhi taking the third spot with 49.2 instances. Delhi and West Bengal interchanged locations in 2021 with 57 and 48.7 instances per one lakh inhabitants respectively.
Crime towards girls
According to the NCRB information for 2021, Assam had 168.3 instances of crime towards girls per one lakh individuals, the very best in India. Delhi got here second with 147.6 and Odisha third with 137.8.
The information didn’t convey something new. Assam has persistently taken the highest spot in crimes towards girls. The fee was 143.2 in 2017, 166 in 2018, 155 in 2019 and 154.3 in 2020.
“The main reason why we have had a high rate of crime is that we do not hesitate in registering cases of any kind of crime, especially those against women who can walk in any time to register a case of domestic violence, sexual harassment, physical abuse or any other type of crime,” A.Y.V. Krishna, the Additional Director-General of Police (CID) instructed The Hindu.
“More than 300 police stations have a women’s help desk with a dedicate officer in charge and qualified counsellors engaged by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences with whom the Assam police signed a memorandum of understanding,” he mentioned.
“One has to also note that the closure rate of cases in Assam after thorough investigation is also high and not all registered cases are charge-sheeted (42.4 per one lakh people in 2021 compared to 91.8 cases in Andaman & Nicobar Islands with crime rate of 21.9). This is because we do not discourage the complainants to come forward,” Mr. Krishna mentioned.
The whole instances of crime towards girls registered in Assam in 2021 was 29,046, a ten.22% improve from 2020 when the State recorded 26,352 instances. The determine in 2019 was 30,025, a soar from 27,687 in 2018.
In 2021, Assam recorded 46 situations of homicide with rape or gang-rape, two behind topper Uttar Pradesh. This was virtually double from the 26 instances in 2020.
The State recorded 1,835 instances of rape in 2021 in comparison with 1,658 instances in 2020. There have been 563 instances of tried rape and 4,511 instances of assault with intention of outraging modesty in 2021. Assam recorded 9 instances of acid assault on girls in 2021, up from two in 2020.
The State additionally recorded 432 instances of cybercrimes concentrating on girls, which included publishing or transmitting sexually specific materials. It is the second highest within the nation after Odisha, which recorded 565 instances.
Of the full instances of crime towards girls within the State, 12,950 have been of cruelty by husband or his relations. The State recorded 5,866 instances of kidnapping and abduction of girls, 3,362 of them to compel for marriage.
The State recorded 1,948 instances underneath the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act of which 1,317 have been of kid rape, 424 instances of sexual assault and 158 of sexual harassment. The whole variety of instances underneath this Act in 2020 was 1,496. On the brighter aspect, Assam didn’t file any instances of infanticide or foeticide.
Waning insurgency
Internal safety specialists mentioned secessionism, violent actions such because the Assam Agitation of 1979-85 and ethnic and communal conflicts largely contributed to the State’s excessive crime fee earlier.
“Insurgency is no longer a factor and a developing Assam today is experiencing the problems similar to the other States. But the State did and continues to have specific issues such as witch-hunting and impulsive violence leading to deaths, often in the tea-growing belt,” Mukesh Sahay, the State’s former DGP mentioned.
A reason for concern amongst social activists is the growing variety of dowry deaths, which stood at 198 in 2021, up from 148 in 2020. Such instances have been few and much between even a decade in the past.
According to the 2021 NCRB information, Assam had 1,192 instances of homicide, 4 of them attributed to extremism or insurgency. The motive of homicide in 227 instances was land/property or household dispute whereas 26 instances have been due to romantic affairs and 6 of sophistication conflicts. The motive behind most instances (536) was unspecified.
Of the full of 26,933 violent instances recorded in Assam, 7,580 have been of kidnapping, 1,885 of theft and 1,288 of try and commit homicide.
