India records 1.6% rise in crimes in 2018-19: NCRB data
India recorded a 1.6% rise in the number of cognizable crimes between 2018 and 2019, according to the latest Crime in India report released by the National Crime Records Bureau of the Ministry of Home Affairs this week.
Nearly 5.2 million cognisable crimes were reported across India in 2019. These cognisable crimes include those covered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as those covered under various Special and Local Laws (SLL). While the first category saw a rise of about 3%, the number of cases under the second decreased by 0.6%.
Data from previous annual Crime in India reports compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy shows that the number of cases registered under both these categories increased by nearly 13% in the last six years.
Nearly every third case registered under the IPC in 2019, or about 1.1 million, was regarding offences affecting the human body such as murder, rape, causing death, kidnapping, etc. Offences against property, such as theft and criminal breach of trust, comprised about 26% or 0.9 million cases.
Between 2018 and 2019, the number of IPC cases under each category of offences increased, with the sole exception of cases registered in offences against public tranquility, which includes crimes such as unlawful assembly and rioting. Offences against property increased by 6.5% — it includes theft which increased by 8% and was the single most committed crime in India comprising 21% of all IPC crimes.
The crimes against women, children, senior citizens, and people belonging to the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities increased between 2018 and 2019 at varying degrees. Crimes against women increased by 7.3%.
Rape comprised about 8% of crimes against women.