Crime in India 2021: Volume-II

The total number of cases of crimes against senior citizens (60 years and above) were recorded to be 26,110 in 2021, a 5.3 per cent increase compared to the 24,794 cases registered in 2020. Cases of ‘simple hurt’ (28.3 per cent) were the highest reported, followed by ‘theft’ (13.5 per cent) and those of ‘forgery, cheating and fraud’ (11.3 per cent).

Of all states and union territories, the crime rate against senior citizens was highest in Delhi with 101.7 cases per lakh population. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh (92.3 cases) and Chhattisgarh (70.3 per cent).

As many as 50,900 cases were registered as crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) in 2021, as opposed to 50,291 in 2020. Cases of ‘simple hurt’ accounted for 30.4 per cent of all cases registered and those under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, made up 10.3 per cent. Cases filed as ‘criminal intimidation’ accounted for a further 10.1 per cent of crimes against SCs.

Uttar Pradesh registered the highest number of crimes against SCs with 13,146 cases, followed by Rajasthan (7,524 cases) and Madhya Pradesh (7,214 cases).

Overall, 8,802 cases of crimes against Scheduled Tribes (STs) were registered in the country in 2021. This was an increase of 6.4 per cent over the figures recorded in 2020. The crime rate against STs in 2021 was noted to be 8.4 cases per lakh population.

Around 26.8 per cent of all cases registered were categorised as ‘simple hurt’ whereas 15 per cent cases were those of ‘rape’. A further 10 per cent of cases were registered under the heading if ‘assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty’.

Kerala registered the highest rate of crime against STs (27.4 cases per lakh population), followed by Rajasthan (23 cases) and Madhya Pradesh (17.2 cases).

Cases filed under economic offences (criminal breach of trust, counterfeiting, forgery, cheating and fraud) in India numbered 174,013 in 2021 – a 19.4 per cent increase over the 145,754 cases in 2020. ‘Forgery, cheating and fraud’ accounted for most of these cases (152,073). ‘Criminal breach of trust’ (21,241 cases) and ‘counterfeiting’ (699 cases) made up the rest.

Rajasthan, with 23,757 cases, was the state that registered the highest economic offences in 2021. It was followed by Telangana and Uttar Pradesh with 20,759 and 20,026 cases respectively.

Cyber-crimes in the country numbered 52,974 in 2021. Of these, metropolitan cities accounted for 17,115 cases, with the largest numbers recorded in Bengaluru (6,423), Hyderabad (3,303) and Mumbai (2,883).

In 2021, the country registered as many as 5,164 cases of offences against the State, a decrease from the 5,613 registered in 2020. Of these, 4,089 were under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984.

 814 cases were registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. At 289 cases, Jammu and Kashmir registered the highest number of cases under this Act. It was followed by Manipur (157 cases) and Assam (95 cases).

The report notes as many as 64,471 environment-related offences registered in 2021, showing a 4.4 per cent increase compared to the numbers noted in 2020.

Focus and Factoids by Yasmin Rosammal Daniel.