As many as 3,59,849 cases of crime against women were registered across the country in 2017, continuing the upward trend for the third consecutive year, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released on October 21.

In 2015, 3,29,243 cases of crimes against women were registered and 3,38,954 cases were registered in 2016.

According to the NCRB data for 2017, which was released after a delay of more than a year, the maximum cases were registered in Uttar Pradesh (56,011) - the country’s most populated state.

Maharashtra recorded the second-highest number of crimes against women with 31,979 cases, followed by 30,992 in West Bengal, 29,778 in Madhya Pradesh, 25,993 in Rajasthan and 23,082 in Assam, the data said.

Delhi, however, saw a decline in crimes against women for the third straight year.     As many as 13,076 FIRs were registered in 2017, down from 15,310 in 2016 and 17,222 in 2015, the NCRB report said.

Assam recorded the highest crime rate of 143 in the country in 2017. Crime rate is offences registered per 1 lakh people.

Odisha and Telangana recorded the second-highest crime rate of 94 each, followed by Haryana (88) and Rajasthan (73).

Eight states - Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura - registered crimes against women only in three digits, with not even 1 per cent contribution to the all-India figures, according to the NCRB data.

The NCRB, under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, is responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws.

Key findings

* A majority of the cases were registered under the ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’ section (27.9 per cent) followed by ‘assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’ (21.7 per cent), ‘kidnapping & abduction’ (20.5 per cent) and ‘rape’ (7 per cent).

* As many as 58,880 incidents of rioting were reported, of which the maximum were reported from Bihar (11,698), followed by Uttar Pradesh (8,990) and Maharashtra (7,743).

* Of the total riots reported, communal and sectarian riots accounted for 723 and 183 incidents, respectively.

* There were 805 riots due to caste conflict and 1,909 riots occurred due to political reasons.

* The incidents registered under the Scheduled Caste Prevention of Atrocities Act saw an increase from 5,082 in 2016 to 5,775 in 2017. Incidents of crime related to Scheduled Tribes declined from 844 in 2016 to 720 in 2017.

* A total of 95,893 cases of kidnapping and abduction were registered during 2017, showing an increase of 9 per cent over 2016 (88,008 cases).

* A total of 63,349 children (20,555 males, 42,691 females and 103 transgenders) were reported missing in 2017.

* In 2017, a total of 70,440 children (23,564 males, 46,798 females and 78 transgenders) were recovered or traced.

* For the first time, the NCRB collected data on circulation of “false / fake news and rumours”. Under the category, the maximum incidents were reported from Madhya Pradesh (138), Uttar Pradesh (32) and Kerala (18).

NCRB

The NCRB is a government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data.

It was set up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators. It was set up based on the recommendation of the Task Force, 1985, and National Police Commission, 1977, by merging the Directorate of Coordination and Police Computer (DCPC), Inter State Criminals Data Branch of CBI and Central Finger Print Bureau of CBI. Earlier, the Statistical Branch of Bureau of Police Research and Development was also merged with NCRB, but was later de-merged.

Mission

To empower the police with IT and criminal intelligence to enable them to uphold the law and protect people. To provide leadership and excellence in crime analysis particularly for serious and organised crime.

Objectives

* Create and maintain secure shareable national databases on crimes and criminals for law enforcement agencies and promote their use for public service delivery.

* Collect and process crime statistics at the national level and clearing house of information on crime and criminals both at the national and international levels.

* Lead and coordinate the development of IT applications and create an enabling IT environment for police organisations.

* National repository of fingerprints of all criminals.

* To evaluate, modernise and promote automation in State Crime Records Bureaux and State Fingerprint Bureaux.

* Training and capacity building in police forces in IT and fingerprint science.