Delhi has emerged as the most unsafe city for women in India, according to data published by the National Crime Records Bureau. The NCRB data suggests that 14,158 crimes were registered against women in 2022. In 2021, the figures were a bit lower, at 13,982.
With an average of three rapes per day, Delhi’s figures were collated to 186.9 crimes per 10,000 women. Out of the 48,755 crimes reported against women in 19 major cities, Delhi’s share stood at 29.04%. It topped the charts for several types of heinous crimes against women in India. Out of the total of 3,635 rapes reported in metro cities, Delhi accounted for 1,204 cases, followed by Jaipur and Mumbai with 497 and 370 cases, respectively. Dowry deaths were reported highest in Delhi with 129 cases, followed by Lucknow and Kanpur with 43 each and 33 in Jaipur.
There was a change in the standings for the cases registered for outraging a woman’s modesty. Out of the 1,752 cases lodged, Mumbai had the highest number of cases, with 667, followed by 400 in Delhi and 250 in Kolkata. Among the states, the highest crime rate was reported in Haryana with 118.7 cases, followed closely by Telangana at 117 and Rajasthan at 115.1. The overall crime rate against women was reported to be 66.4, a jump from 64.5 in 2021.
The cases registered under crime against women were: cruelty by husband or his relatives (31.4%), kidnapping and abduction of women (19.2%), assault on women to outrage her modesty (18.7%), and rape (7.1%).
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (public relations), Suman Nalwa, responded to the data by saying that Delhi’s numbers were high since they ensure that all crimes against women are reported. Checks are done by senior personnel, and the cases are monitored at the highest level. Experts are also of the view that the rankings for crimes should not be compared against cities or states, as there are several other factors that lead to a particular crime. Instead, these data should be studied to take appropriate preventive measures to ensure that such crimes are reduced in the future.
The data released by the NCRB reflected that overall, the crime rates against women in 2022 had shown an upward trend as compared to 2021.
(Inputs from various sources)
(Rehash/Dr. Sushmita Ganguli)
