Dubious Distinction: Odisha ranks 4 in crime against women in NCRB 2022 report

Bhubaneshwar: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 report published recently presents a grim picture of Odisha in terms of abuse and crime against women.

As per the NCRB report, the state has registered the fourth highest cases of women abuse in the country. Not only molestation, but all kinds of crimes against women have increased in Odisha in 2022 compared to 2021. In 2022, there were 7,327 cases of molestation and 14 cases of rape and murder.

Odisha ranks seventh in the country in the overall crimes against women. In another startling revelation, at least three out of every one lakh population are murdered in Odisha every year.

The report also says that the crimes against children have also increased in the state as compared to the previous year. In 2021, there were 7,899 crimes against children, which increased to 8,240 in 2022.

Speaking on the NCRB 2022 findings, former police officer Sarat  Sahoo said though a rising crime rate is proportional to the urbanisation, a high crime rate against women is particularly problematic.

“If we take the missing children and women figure into account, then Odisha might feature on the top. The primary reason for it seems to be the politicisation of crimes,” Sahoo said.

In the National context, the crimes against women and children have also increased in the country in 2022 as compared to 2021. Crimes against women increased by 4 per cent, and crimes against children increased by 8.7 per cent in the country, the report revealed.