The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2021 revealed that a total of 4,28,278 cases of crime against women were registered during the year, showing an increase by 15.3% from 2020, which saw 3,71,503 cases.
Under crimes against women, the majority of cases were registered under ‘cruelty by husband or his relatives’ (1,36,234), followed by ‘assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’ (89,200), and ‘kidnapping and abduction of women’ (75,369), cases registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) (52,836) and rape (31,677).
Out of the total 1,36,234 cases of assault against women with intent to outrage her modesty registered across the country, Andhra Pradesh recorded 5,108 cases, Karnataka recorded 5,105, Telangana recorded 4,365, Kerala recorded 4,059 cases, and Tamil Nadu recorded 1,077 cases.
With 20,865 cases, Telangana recorded the highest number of crimes registered against women among southern states, followed by Andhra Pradesh which reported 17,752 cases and Karnataka with 14,468 cases.
In India, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of crimes against women with 56,083 cases registered, followed by Rajasthan with 40,738 cases and Maharashtra with 39,526 cases.
Although the number of cases in Tamil Nadu is reportedly lower, Telangana tops the list with 9,468 cases registered under cruelty by husband or his relatives.
Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest number of rape cases followed by Telangana and Kerala.
With 2,947 cases, Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of rape cases followed by Uttar Pradesh with 2,845 cases and Maharashtra with 2,496.
Karnataka reported the lowest number of attempted rape cases, while Andhra Pradesh reported the highest number of cases for southern states with 162 cases, followed by Kerala with 61 cases.
According to NCRB report, the majority of rape survivors across the country knew the offender, who were either a family member or a close relative whom the victim would normally have no reason to fear.