Crimes against women in J-K up by 15.62% in a year, over 7k accused held

Crimes against women in J&K recorded an increase of 15.62% in 2021 compared to the preceding year, with over 7,000 people being arrested

Crimes against women in Jammu and Kashmir recorded an increase of 15.62 per cent in 2021 compared to the preceding year, with over 7,000 people being arrested, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said in its latest report.

However, the conviction rate remained low as only 95 people were awarded sentences, while cases under investigation touched 6,275 by the end of last year. These include 2,329 cases pending investigation from 2020 and nine cases that reopened for investigation, the report said.

It said crimes against women marked a steady rise from 2019 to 2021, with the highest 3,937 such cases reported in 2021 against 3,405 cases in 2020. In 2019, there were 3,069 such cases.

According to the 2011 census, there are 64 lakh women in Jammu and Kashmir, and the crime rate per lakh population in 2021 stood at 61.6, the report said.

The report said 315 cases of rape, 1,414 incidents of attempt to rape and 14 dowry deaths were lodged in 2021, and incidentally, 91.4 per cent of the accused involved in rape were known to the victim, the report said.

As many as 1,851 cases were also registered in connection with assault on women with the intention to outrage their modesty. Of these, 14 cases were reported from shelter homes for women and children, and five rape cases were reported in custody.

Two cases of voyeurism and 26 cases of stalking were also reported during the last year, the report said.

It said 501 cases of cruelty by husband or his relatives, one case of acid attack, two attempted acid attacks came to light during the year.

There were 1,013 cases of abduction of women. Of these, in 447 cases, women were kidnapped for marriage.

Nine cases related to women-centric cybercrimes such as publishing or transmitting sexually explicit material and blackmailing or morphing/fake profiles were registered, 20 cases related to miscarriage, infanticide and foeticide and three cases of human trafficking, the report said.

It said 7,109 people, including 648 women, were arrested and 6,994 of them were charged.

Ninety five people, including five women, were convicted, while 1,056 were discharged and 1,175 acquitted by the courts.

The report said 1,135 cases ended up as false, four were labeled a mistake of fact or of law or civil dispute, 57 cases were found to be true but there was insufficient evidence, the report said.

In all, 4,343 cases were disposed off by police, it said.

The report said chargesheet was filed in 2,346 cases 1,196 cases from 2020 and 801 cases of 2021.

The NCRB also said 12 cases were registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes-related acts and another nine were related to the prevention of damage to public property.