Health
92Year cancer survivor inspires the world with his
Assam had a rate of 168.3 crimes against women last year, which is much higher than the national average of 64.5...
Digital Desk: Assam has become the state with the highest rate of crime against women in India for the 5th consecutive year, according to the most recent National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2021 released on Monday.
Assam had a rate of 168.3 crimes against women last year, which is much higher than the national average of 64.5. With 147.6, Delhi came in second, followed by Odisha with 137.8.
The crime rate is estimated as the number of total offenses reported per 100,000 people. Assam's crime rate against women was 143.3 in 2017, 166 in 2018, 177 in 2019, and 154.3 in 2020.
In 2021, the rate of charge sheets filed for total cases in Assam was 52.9%, much lower than the national rate of 77.1%. Assam had 29,046 cases of crime against women last year, a 10.22% rise over the state's 26,352 cases in 2021. The figure was 30,025 in 2019 and 27,687 in 2018.
After Uttar Pradesh, which reported 48 cases, Assam had the second-highest number of rape-cum-murder/gang rape incidents in 2020 with 46. The number is significantly higher than the 26 similar occurrences that were noted in Assam in 2021.
In contrast to 1,658 cases in 2020, the state saw 1,835 rape cases last year. Last year, there were 4,511 cases of assault with the purpose of offending modesty and 563 cases of attempted rape.
"This is one distinction, which no one in Assam wants. One reason for the high numbers could be that most victims in Assam come forward to report cases. And the police register those cases promptly instead of the women being turned away like in some other states," said a senior police officer on condition of anonymity.
"This is one distinction that nobody wants in Assam. The majority of victims in Assam come forward to report cases, which could be one explanation for the high numbers. "and the police swiftly register the charges instead of turning the women away like in some other states."
While cases of dowry deaths were few and far between several years ago, they have increased in Assam in recent years. Last year, 198 women died in dowry-related cases across the state; in 2020 it was 150. In 2021, nine incidents of acid attacks on women were also recorded.
"The figures are very worrying. More awareness and sensitisation is needed to bring the cases down. This won’t happen overnight and will take lot of work," said Chikimiki Talukdar, former chairperson, Assam State Commission for Women.
Last year, 12,950 of the total cases of crime against women filed in Assam were of cruelty by husband or his relatives under Section 498A of the IPC. In 2021, the state reported 5,866 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women, of which 3,362 involved attempts to force marriage.
Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, the state reported 1,948 incidents, of which 1,317 involved child rape, 424 involved sexual assault, and 158 involved sexual harassment. In Assam, there were 1,496 total POCSO Act cases in 2020.
Assam reported 432 cases of online crimes against women, including publishing or sending pornographic content. It is the second-highest number in the nation, after only Odisha's 565 cases.
Leave A Comment