The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently released its annual Crime in India Report for the year 2018. This report provides a detailed analysis of crime statistics in the country, spanning over the years 2017 and 2018. Moreover, alongside the Crime in India Report, NCRB also published the Accidental Death and Suicides in India 2018 report. These records allow us to better understand the full picture of crime, death, and suicide figures in India during this period.
Key Findings and Statistics
The annual report indicates a 1.3% increase in the registration of cases across the country. However, there is a slight decline in the overall crime rate per lakh population – it dropped from 388.6 in 2017 to 383.5 in 2018.
Crime Against Women
In 2018, a rise in crimes against women was observed compared to the previous year. Uttar Pradesh led the pack with the highest number of registered cases, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal. Among metropolitan cities, Delhi reported the most instances. A major portion of these crimes involves cruelty by a husband or his relatives (31.9%) and assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (27.6%).
Suicide Statistics
NCRB’s data reveals an alarming increase in the number of suicides in 2018 as compared to 2017. Daily wage earners made up the largest proportion, constituting 22.4% of all suicide cases. Maharashtra recorded the highest number of suicides, with Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka following closely. In the farming sector, the suicides accounted for 7.7% of the total number in the country.
| State | Suicides in farm sector (% of total) |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | – |
| Tamil Nadu | – |
| West Bengal | – |
| Madhya Pradesh | – |
| Karnataka | – |
Economic Offences and Violence Due to Riots
2018 saw an increase in economic offences, which include criminal breach of trust, forgery, cheating, fraud, and counterfeiting. Uttar Pradesh was the epicenter of such offences, followed by Telangana and Bihar. In contrast, cases of violence due to riots sparked by communal, political, agrarian, and student issues saw a decline. However, riots caused by industrial and water disputes witnessed a sharp rise.
SC/ST related crimes and Cyber Crimes
Incidents registered under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes related Acts witnessed a decline in 2018 compared to 2017. But as these figures recede, the new-age menace of cybercrimes shows a worrying surge – the numbers have notably increased from 2017 to 2018.