INDIA’S CRIME GRAPH INCREASED

INDIA’S CRIME GRAPH INCREASED

Cases of crime under various categories in the country increased by about 5 per cent last year as compared to 2009, according to a publication of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Besides, road accidents alone claimed 1.33 lakh lives last year, an increase of 5.5 per cent over 2009 that saw 1.26 lakh deaths. According to “Crime in India 2010,” a total of 22,24,831 crimes were reported under the Indian Penal Code as against 21,21,345 cases in 2009. Murder cases during the year (33,335) went up by 3 per cent against 32,369 cases in 2009.

Cases under the following heads showed an increasing trend — attempt to murder increased by 1.3 per cent, rape cases increased by 3.6 per cent, kidnapping and abduction cases increased by 13.5 per cent, robbery rose by 4.4 per cent, and dowry deaths went up marginally by 0.1 per cent. Crime against women during 2010 (2,13,585) went up by 4.8 per cent compared to 2,03,804 cases recorded in 2009. Crime against children went up by 10.3 per cent (26,694) as against 24,201 cases in 2009. However, crime against the Scheduled Castes (SC) declined by 2.6 per cent in 2010 (32,712) compared to 33,594 cases in 2009. Those against the Scheduled Tribes (ST) during the last year was put at 5885 case, an increase of 8.5 per cent compared to 5425 cases in 2009.

As per another publication of NCRB, ‘Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2010,' as many as 3,84, 649 lives were lost in accidents in 2010. In 2009, this figure stood at 3,57,021 indicating an increase of 7.7 per cent in 2010. Road accidents claimed the lives of 1,33,938 pople last year, indicating a rise of 5.5 per cent compared to 1,26,896 deaths in 2009. As many as 1,34,599 people committed suicide in 2010. Family problem was the major reason for such suicides (31,856), followed by illness (28,464). Of the total suicides reported, 44,535 people (33.1 per cent) consumed poison to commit suicide and 42,266 persons (31.4 per cent) committed suicide by hanging. The 58th edition of “Crime In India – 2010” was released by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram here on Thursday. The NCRB has been publishing such figures since 1953, informed N.K. Tripathi, Director-General of NCRB.

The publication is a compilation and analysis of crime statistics on various types of crimes which had taken place in that year. The report is widely referred to by policy makers, police personnel, researchers, NGOs and other stake holders. The Bureau has also been annually bringing out publication on “Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India” since 1967 to analyse the loss of valuable human lives in various types of accidents, natural calamity and suicides.

The NCRB has digitised all the editions of both publications, which can be accessed from the website of NCRB (http://ncrb.gov.in). The Bureau is also entrusted with the task of implementing CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems), a mission-mode project of the Home Ministry under national e-Governance plan to connect all the 15000 police stations and 6000-odd higher police offices across the country. This project is likely to be rolled out by March 2012, the NCRB chief said.

                                                                          Prof. John Kurakar