Madhya Pradesh recorded 2,479 cases of rape of minors in 2016, NCRB data shows
Madhya Pradesh has reported the highest number of rape cases among all states last year, according to government data. The state reported 4,882 rape cases out of 38,947 cases recorded across the country in 2016, as per the National Crime Record Bureau's report released today.
The state is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra with 4,816 and 4,189 rape cases registered, respectively, in 2016.
Madhya Pradesh recorded 2,479 cases of rape of minors followed by Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh with 2,310 and 2,115 such cases, respectively.
In 2015 too, Madhya Pradesh had recorded the highest number of rape cases (4,391) in the country. Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police Rishi Kumar Shukla said the state police were prompt in registering rape cases, and so the number was high.
The top police officer said crime against women has fallen to 26,604 cases in 2016 from 28,756 in 2014, according to the NCRB figures. The total number of criminal complaints filed in Madhya Pradesh has declined to 2.64 lakh in 2016 from 2.72 lakh in 2014, he added.
"We have chargesheeted 90 per cent of accused in crimes against women in 2016. Of them, 3,882 have been convicted," the DGP said.
Another police officer sought to attribute the rise in crime against women to easy accessibility of pornography. "Drastic measures are needed to curb pornography," said the police officer who asked not to be named.
After senior Congress leader Kamal Nath criticised Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the data, state BJP spokesperson Rajnish Agrawal said the report shows that in most cases, culprits were acquaintances of victims.
"This is a social problem and all sections of the society need to come forward to deal with it," Mr Agrawal said.
The state government is in the process of introducing a bill in the ongoing assembly session which will provide for capital punishment for rape of girls who are below 12, he said.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)