The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently launched its annual “Crime in India for 2022” report, offering an in-depth analysis of crime patterns across India. The report reveals that over 58,00,000 cognizable crimes, including Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special & Local Laws (SLL) offences, were registered, showing a 4.5% decrease from 2021.
Decline in Crime Rate: A Closer Look
According to the NCRB report, the crime rate per lakh population decreased from 445.9 in 2021 to 422.2 in 2022, which is viewed as a more reliable metric due to the influence of population growth on absolute crime numbers.
Kolkata: The Safest City in India
Kolkata reconfirmed its status as the safest city in India for the third year running, reporting the lowest number of cognizable offences per lakh population among all metropolises.
Surge in Cyber Crimes: A Concerning Trend
Cybercrime reports saw a substantial increase of 24.4%, totalling up to 65,893 cases, marking a steep rise from 52,974 cases in 2021. Cyber fraud constituted the majority of the recorded cases.
Rising Suicides in India: An Alarming Reality
India’s suicide rates experienced a worrying increase in 2022, reaching over 1.7 Lakh cases, which was a 4.2% increase compared to 2021. Maharashtra reported the highest number of suicides, with daily wage earners comprising a significant portion of the total suicides.
Escalating Crimes Against SCs and STs
The “Crime in India” report highlighted an overall increase in crimes against Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) persons, with states such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana witnessing a spike in such cases in 2022.
Crimes Against Women and Children on the Rise
In total, 4,45,256 crime cases against women were reported in 2022, which was a 4% rise from 2021. Crimes against children also saw an alarming increase of 8.7% compared to the previous year.
A Growing Threat to Senior Citizens
Crimes against senior citizens also saw a noticeable rise by 9.3%, increasing to 28,545 cases compared to 26,110 in 2021. The majority of these crimes related to hurt, theft, and forgery, cheating, and fraud.
Animal Attacks: A Rising Concern
The NCRB report revealed a worrying trend of increased animal attacks, with a 19% leap in such incidents recorded in 2022 compared to 2021.
Environment-Related Crime: A Mixed Trend
While the total number of environmental crimes decreased by about 18% in 2022, violations registered under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, have increased by around 42%.
Offences Against the State: A Slight Increase
Offences against the State displayed a minor rise in 2022. Notably, there was around a 25% rise in cases filed under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) during this period, while cases under the sedition section of the IPC experienced a marked decline.
Rise in Economic Offences
Economic offences, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, cheating, fraud, and counterfeiting, saw an upsurge. The government authorities confiscated fake Indian currency notes (FICN) amounting to over Rs.342 crore in 2022.
Crimes Against Foreigners: An Increased Threat
A total of 192 cases were registered against foreigners, indicating a 28% rise from 150 cases in 2021. Most victims hailed from Asian countries, followed by African countries.
High Chargesheeting Rates: A State-wise Analysis
The states with the highest chargesheeting rates under IPC crimes were Kerala, Puducherry, and West Bengal, reflecting cases where police reached the stage of framing charges against the accused.
National Crime Records Bureau: An Overview
Established in 1986, the NCRB functions as a repository of information on crime and criminals to assist investigators. It is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and operates out of New Delhi. The bureau acts as a “national warehouse” for fingerprint records and assists in tracing interstate criminals through fingerprint search.