Bhopal, Oct. 23 (IANS): With the reopening of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data to public after a year's break crime figures have started startling people. The ostensible reason for the inaccessibility of data was the proposed merger of NCRB with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D).
According to NCRB data for 2017 released on Monday, girls aged between 6 and 18 years and elderly women remained most vulnerable to rapes in Madhya Pradesh.
The state stayed on top with the dubious distinction of 5,599 girls and women being reportedly raped -- a 14.6 per cent rise from more than 4,882 cases reported in 2016. But the minor and teenage girls (aged between 6 and 18 years) and middle-aged and elderly women (aged between 45 and 60 years and above) continued to form the bulk of alleged victims in the state.
Further analysis showed that when it came to total number of rape cases with women/adult victims nationally, MP reported 10 per cent of all cases nationally with 2,517 cases. But in cases of rape with minor girls, MP with 3,082 cases accounted for 30 per cent of total such cases nationally in 2017.
While MP with 50 victims was second to UP nationally in rape of girls below 6 years, it was placed on top in the country in rape cases with girls aged between 6 and 12 years (207 cases), 12-16 years (1275 cases) and 16-18 years (1,550 cases). In the young age and early middle-age groups 18-30 and 30-45, MP stood third in the country.
In cases of rapes with women aged 45-60, the state again topped nationally with 104 cases, while Assam was second with 75 cases. In cases of rapes with women aged 60 years and above also, MP again was ranked first with 46 cases, followed by Kerala with 25 cases. An age-wise breakup also showed that MP accounting for 17per cent of rape cases nationally (figure was 15.4per cent in 2016) in below six years age group, 26 per cent in cases happening with girls aged between 6-12 years, 34 per cent (12-16 years), 29 per cent (16-18 years), just 10 per cent (18-30 years), 13 per cent (30-45 years), 21 per cent(45-60 years) and 34 per cent (women aged 60 and above).
Additional Director General of Police (ADG Crime Against Women) Anvesh Mangalam said, "I haven't studied the latest NCRB report in detail. It cannot be denied that MP has been reporting maximum rape cases in the country over the last several years, but the police can only investigate and prosecute. Such crimes cannot be prevented by police alone. A host of cultural and social factors are also responsible for a spurt in such cases".
He said the state police was doing its best to punish the culprits. "In the last one year, 2,000-plus accused have been convicted in such cases and 31 convicts have been awarded the death penalty, while 200 other rape convicts have been awarded life imprisonment due to proper and speedy trial."
