46% rise in complaints of crimes against women in 2021; UP, Delhi top list: NCW

Among states and Union territories, the highest number of complaints were received from Uttar Pradesh (10,084). It was followed by the national capital with 2,147 complaints. Haryana reported 995 and 974 came from Maharashtra, the commission also said.

The country saw a rise of 46 per cent in complaints of crimes against women in the first eight months of this year as against the corresponding period of last year, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said on Monday. According to data, the NCW received 19,953 complaints of crimes against women from January to August this year. The number is up from the 13,618 complaints reported in the same period of time in 2020. The NCW received as many as 3,248 complaints in the month of July, which is the highest in a month since June 2015.

Activists hold a candlelight vigil in Bengaluru to protest the rising incidence of sexual crimes against women across the country. (Reuters Photo)

More than half of these complaints came from the state of Uttar Pradesh alone, the women's body also informed. Among states and Union territories, the highest number of complaints were received from Uttar Pradesh (10,084). It was followed by the national capital with 2,147 complaints. Haryana reported 995 and 974 came from Maharashtra, the commission also said.

Explaining the steep rise in the cases, NCW chief Rekha Sharma said it was because the commission is regularly conducting awareness programmes and the public is now more aware of its work, hence the jump in complaints. "Also, the commission has always made it a point to launch new initiatives to help women. Keeping in line with this, we have launched a round-the-clock helpline number as well to provide support services to women in need where they can also register a complaint," news agency PTI quoted Sharma as saying.