The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently released its Crime in India 2023 report. NCRB’s Crime in India reports are a comprehensive analysis of the crime scene in the country. Despite its fairly wide acceptance, some users of crime data — within and outside government — are sceptical of the accuracy of the data in the report. There is even a small section that believes the report massages statistics to cast the establishment in good light. Such views add spice to our dynamic democracy, but are otherwise gibberish.
However, if you discard NCRB reports as unreliable, there is nothing else in the public domain that would give you a picture of crime incidence, nature, and trends, among others. One criticism that holds is that official crime figures are more than a year old when they are released. This delay is because the NCRB is dependent on state police forces for the data. Many states delay submitting data, and a few do not submit all the numbers in one go. Still, the NCRB comes out with eminently clear analysis.
In 2023, cognisable crime increased by 5.7% under the then existent Indian Penal Code and a 9.5% increase under special and local laws. The crime rate, i.e., crime per 100,000 population, rose from 422 in 2022 to 440 in 2023. This doesn’t appear very significant in a country like ours, with its large population and acute unemployment problem.
Any form of crime is a matter of concern, but what the common man finds most distressing is homicides and violence against women and the elderly. There were more than 29,000 rapes in 2023 — a marginal drop from the year earlier — with 1,088 cases reported in the national capital alone. This brings to mind the national reaction to the Delhi 2012 gangrape-murder case, which reflected poorly on the state of policing. Fortunately, crimes of such depravity are not frequent. However, there is no room for complacency.
{{/usCountry}}Any form of crime is a matter of concern, but what the common man finds most distressing is homicides and violence against women and the elderly. There were more than 29,000 rapes in 2023 — a marginal drop from the year earlier — with 1,088 cases reported in the national capital alone. This brings to mind the national reaction to the Delhi 2012 gangrape-murder case, which reflected poorly on the state of policing. Fortunately, crimes of such depravity are not frequent. However, there is no room for complacency.
{{/usCountry}}As a measure of prevention, a larger police presence, especially in crime-prone areas, can help reduce violence against women. Citizens must also do their bit to prevent such crimes from occurring. We must remember that rapes are one of the most under-reported crimes the world over, and this is especially true of rural India. More so, when an influential person commits the crime. Social stigma, on top of the very real threat of intimidation, often allows rapes to go unreported.
Police negligence and connivance are also not uncommon. Unless women activists intervene in larger numbers and are supported by the government and the police, this shameful situation will continue to be a blot on our social fabric. Consequently, the successful prosecution of sex offenders will remain abysmally low, especially when courts look for unassailable proof of crime, which is often not available.
Another heinous crime is murder. There were 27,721 homicides during 2023 — an increase of 1,200 over the previous year. Given the fact that a murder is often caused by the impulsive act of an individual, it is one of the most difficult-to-prevent violent crimes.
The use of guns in India was low until a decade ago. This is changing fast. Recovery of illegal firearms is on the rise. If we do not want to become another America, we have to be more proactive on gun control.
An alarming aspect of crime in India would be the rising graph of cybercrime — twice as many reported in 2023 compared to 2022. The greater penetration of digital technology in our lives, very evidently, comes with a large price tag. There is some awareness of the complexity and pervasiveness of cybercrime, but not enough to check it comprehensively. This is where we need significant effort, from the government and civil society alike, to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens, be it the elderly or women or children, don’t fall prey to fraud/scams, extortion, and are not ensnared by criminals to join their growing networks.
RK Raghavan, a former CBI director, is professor of criminal justice at the Jindal Global University. The views expressed are personal