‘ UP tops country’s crime chart’

49,262 cases of crime against women reported in ’ 16, says NCRB

New Delhi, Nov. 30: Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of heinous crimes such as murder and those against women in 2016, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau ( NCRB) on Thursday.

UP, the country’s most populous state, reported the highest number of cases of murder at 4,889, accounting for 16.1 per cent of the total such cases in the country, followed by Bihar where 2,581 ( 8.4 per cent).

UP registered 14.5 per cent ( 49,262 cases) of total cases of crime against women, followed by West Bengal 9.6 per cent ( 32,513 cases) in 2016. Rape cases recorded an increase of 12.4 per cent from 34,651 cases in the country in 2015 to 38,947 in 2016.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reported the maximum cases of rape at 4,882 ( 12.5 per cent) and 4,816 ( 12.4 per cent), followed by Maharashtra 4,189 cases ( 10.7 per cent) last year, according to the NCRB data, released by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Cases of crime against women have reported an increase of 2.9 per cent in 2016 over 2015. Majority of cases of crimes against women were reported under the heads of cruelty by husband or his relatives ( 32 per cent), assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty ( 25 per cent), kidnapping and abduction of women ( 19 per cent), and rape ( 11.5 per cent).

UP recorded 9.5 per cent of the total cases of crimes registered under the IPC in the country, followed by Madhya Pradesh ( 8.9 per cent), Maharashtra ( 8.8 per cent) and Kerala ( 8.7 per cent).

A total of 37,37,870 people were arrested in 2016 for various crimes, while a total of 32,71,262 people were charge- sheeted, 7,94,616 were convicted and 11,48,824 people were acquitted or discharged.