Agencies
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 21
Kerala has recorded the highest number of cases registered in 2014 for offences against the State, data released by the National Crime Records Bureau has revealed. These cases have been lodged under IPC sections pertaining to sedition, waging or planning to wage war against the Government of India or promoting enmity between different groups.
As many as 512 offences against the State were registered across the country last year.
With 72 cases, Kerala accounts for 14 per cent of the total, followed by Assam (11 per cent) and Karnataka (9 per cent).
Of the 72 cases lodged in Kerala, 65 were for offences relating to promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race or place of birth (Section 153 A) or to imputations or assertions prejudicial to National Integration (Section 153 B).
Kerala’s tally also included five cases of sedition (Section 124 A) and two lodged under sections relating to waging or attempting to wage war.
Jammu and Kashmir, which has its own penal code called Ranbir Penal Code, recorded five offences against the State under the IPC.
All of these pertained to waging or attempting to wage war against the government. No case of sedition was registered in the state.
Assam recorded 56 cases of offences against the State, the second highest in the country.
All these pertained either to waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Government of India (Section 121), conspiracy to commit offences punishable under Section 121 (Section 121 A), collecting arms with intention of waging war against the Government of India (Section 122), concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war (Section 123) or sedition (Section 124 A).
Karnataka occupied the third spot with 46 cases of offences against the State.
These pertained to either Section 153 A or Section 153 B. Karnataka was followed by Rajasthan (39 cases), Maharashtra (34 cases) and Meghalaya (32 cases).
A total of 47 sedition offences were registered across the country in 2014. Jharkhand had the highest tally, with 18 sedition cases being registered in the state.
Delhi recorded 13 cases under Section 153 A for promoting enmity between groups.
Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Sikkim and Punjab did not record a single offence against the State in 2014, as in the case of Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Lakshadweep.
