NCRB Report-2022: Delhi, Haryana most unsafe for women

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, December 4

Delhi and Haryana are most unsafe for women in the country recording 144.4 and 118.7 incidents of crime per lakh women, respectively, according to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB)-2022 report.

2.43 lakh cases registered in Haryana

• Haryana registered 2.43 lakh cases, including under the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws. It is 17.6 per cent more than the 2021 figure when 2.06 lakh cases were registered.

Haryana registered 16,743 cases of crime against women in 2022 whereas 16,658 cases had been lodged in 2021, reflecting a rise of 0.5 per cent. However, the rate of filing chargesheets by the police in such crimes is a mere 57.2, which is the third worst in the country after Assam and Rajasthan. The conviction rate fell to 13.2 per cent, while the pendency in courts was 90%. As many as 1,787 rape cases (where the age of the victim is above 18 years) were registered in 2022; close to five rapes per day. It included 180 gang-rape incidents and 729 cases of repeated rape on the same women. In over 98% of the cases, the offender was known to the victim, said the report. In 2021, the state had registered 1,716 rape cases.

Delhi – crime capital

• 14,247 cases of crime against women registered under IPC and special and local laws in Delhi in 2022
• 144.4 incidents per lakh women population (crime rate) recorded. This makes Delhi most unsafe for women
• 1,212 rape cases, 131 dowry death FIRs, 3,917 kidnapping FIRs and 4,901 cases of cruelty by husband registered

The year 2022 also witnessed 234 dowry deaths, six incidents of acid attack involving nine victims, 5,883 cases of cruelty by husband and 3,050 kidnapping and abduction cases. The abduction cases included 1,041 incidents of forcing women to compel for marriage.

Besides, 1,264 cases of girl-child rape under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act were registered in 2022, while the number was 1,234 in 2021.

The state registered a total of 6,138 cases of crime against children in 2022 which is a jump of 7.7 per cent from the previous year. However, the police chargesheet rate was third worst in the country at 41.6 per cent, after Delhi (32.9) and Chandigarh (37.2).

There were seven incidents of rape and murder of children, and 61 FIRs of murders. There were five cases of infanticide and 11 of foeticide. There were 68 boy victims of aggravated penetrative sexual assault.

The conviction rate in crime against children was 28.6 per cent in the state in 2022, and the pendency of cases in courts was 86.1 per cent, according to the NCRB report.