Crime against women up 4% in 2022, Delhi most unsafe metro city: NCRB

Crime in India 2022: In the metro cities, with a population of over 2 million, the increase in such crimes was steeper at 12.3%

The number of registered cases of crimes against women rose 4 per cent to 445,256 in 2022 as compared to 428,278 in 2021, according to a report released by the National Crime Records Bureau. In the metro cities, with a population of over two million, the increase in such crimes was steeper at 12.3 per cent to 48,755 in 2022. 

Among the states, Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of crimes against women at 65,743. Last year, the number of such cases in UP was 56,083. In 2021, UP had reported 49,385 such cases, according to "Crime in India 2022" report. 

In 2022, UP was followed by Maharashtra (45,331 cases) and Rajasthan (45,058 cases). The data highlighted that the number of cases against women in most states of India has increased.

Among the Union Territories, Delhi reported the highest number of crimes against women at 14,247. Even though it was lower than the 14,277 such cases registered in 2021, the numbers were substantially higher than the 10,093 cases registered in Delhi in 2020.   

Among metropolitan cities, the highest number of crimes against women was reported in Delhi city at 14,158. It was distantly followed by 6,176 cases in Mumbai and 3,924 in Bengaluru.

Interestingly, the rate of total crime against women - such cases per 100,000 women - was the highest in Jaipur among all metro cities. According to the report, 239.3 cases of crime against women were reported per 100,000 women in the city in 2022. It was followed by 186.9 in Delhi and 174.3 in Indore.

Among the states, the highest rate of crime against women was reported in Haryana (118.7), followed by Telangana (117) and Rajasthan (115.1).

Overall, the crime rate was 66.4 in 2022, compared with 64.5 in 2021.

The majority of cases under crime against women under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were registered under the "Cruelty by Husband or His Relatives" (31.4 per cent) category. It was followed by "Kidnapping & Abduction of Women" (19.2 per cent), "Assault on Women with Intent to Outrage her Modesty" (18.7 per cent), and "Rape" (7.1 per cent).