Crime in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Crime in India exists in various forms taking note of drug trafficking, gunrunning, money laundering, extortion, murder for hire, fraud, human trafficking, poaching and prostitution. Many criminal operations engage in black marketeering, political violence, religiously motivated violence, terrorism, and abduction. Other crimes are homicide, robbery, assault etc. Property crimes include burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Corruption is a significant problem.
A report published by the National Crime Records Bureau compared crime rate from 1953 to 2006. The report noted that burglary declined over a period of 53 years by 38% (from 147,379 in 1953 to 91,666 in 2006), whereas murder has increased by 231% (from 9,803 in 1953 to 32,481 in 2006).[2] Kidnapping has increased by 356% (from 5,261 in 1953 to 23,991 in 2006), robbery by 120% (from 8,407 in 1953 to 18,456 in 2006) and riots by 176% (from 20,529 in 1953 to 56,641 in 2006).[2] In 2006, 5,102,460 cognisable crimes were committed including 1,878,293 Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes and 3,224,167 Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes, with an increase of 1.5% over 2005 (50,26,337).[3] IPC crime rate in 2006 was 167.7 compared to 165.3 in 2005 showing an increase of 1.5% in 2006 over 2005. [3] SLL crime rate in
2006 was 287.9 compared to 290.5 in 2005 showing a decline of 0.9% in 2006 over 2005.[3]
Year[2]
Theft
Burglary Riots
1953
6,01,964
9,802
5,261
8,407
147,379 20,529
2006
18,78,293
32,481
23,991
18,456
91,666
56,641
212.0
231.0
356.0
120.0
38.0
176.0
State/UT
Murder Rate
Andhra Pradesh
3.3
Arunchal Pradesh
4.7
Assam
4.2
Bihar
3.1
Chhattisgarh
4.3
GOA
3.3
Gujarat
1.9
Haryana
4.2
Jharkhand
5.3
Karnataka
3.0
Kerala
1.1
Madhya Pradesh
3.5
Maharashtra
2.5
State/UT
Murder Rate
Manipur
2.9
Meghalaya
2.9
Mizoram
2.4
Nagaland
2.3
Odisha
3.5
Punjab
3.0
Rajasthan
2.1
Sikkim
2.3
Tamil Nadu
2.6
Tripura
4.4
Uttar Pradesh
2.5
Uttarakhand
1.8
West Bengal
2.3
Delhi
[4] [5]
3.3
Main article: Women in India Police records show high incidence of crimes against women in India. The National Crime Records Bureau reported in 1998 that the growth rate of crimes against women would be higher than the population growth rate by 2010.[6] Earlier, many cases were not registered with the police due to the social stigma attached to rape and molestation cases. Official statistics show that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reported crimes against women.[6]
many experts, that the highly masculine sex ratio in India can be attributed to female infanticides and sex-selective abortions. All medical tests that can be used to determine the sex of the child have been banned in India, due to incidents of these tests being used to get rid of unwanted female children before birth. Female infanticide (killing of girl infants) is still prevalent in some rural areas.[6] The abuse of the dowry tradition has been one of the main reasons for sex-selective abortions and female infanticides in India.
Organized crime: Drug trafficking results in growth of organised crime which affects social security. Organised crime connects drug trafficking with corruption and money laundering.[24]
Political instability: Drug trafficking also aggravates the political instability in North-West and North-East India.[25]
A survey conducted in 20032004 by Narcotics Control Bureau found that India has at least four million drug addicts.[26] The most common drugs used in India are cannabis, hashish, opium and heroin.[26] In 2006 alone, India's law enforcing agencies recovered 230 kg heroin and 203 kg of cocaine.[27] In an annual government report in 2007, the United States named India among 20 major hubs for trafficking of illegal drugs along with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Burma. However, studies reveal that most of the criminals caught in this crime are either Nigerian or US nationals.[28] Several measures have been taken by the Government of India to combat drug trafficking in the country. India is a party of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), the Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971), the Protocol Amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1972) and the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988).[29] An Indo-Pakistani committee was set up in 1986 to prevent trafficking in narcotic drugs.[30] India signed a convention with the United Arab Emirates in 1994 to control drug trafficking.[30] In 1995, India signed an agreement with Egypt for investigation of drug cases and exchange of information and a Memorandum of Understanding of the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Drugs with Iran.[30]
porous Indo-Nepal border is an entry point for Chinese pistols, AK-47 and M-16 rifles into India as these arms are used by the Naxalites who have ties to Maoists in Nepal.[31] In North-East India, there is a huge influx of small arms due to the insurgent groups operating there.[33] The small arms in North-East India come from insurgent groups in Burma, black market inSouth-East Asian countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, black market in Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, insurgent groups like the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and pilferages from legal gun factories, criminal organisations operating in India and South Asian countries and other international markets like Romania, Germany etc.[33] The small arms found in North-East India are M14 rifle, M16 rifle, AK-47, AK-56, AK-74, light machine guns, Chinese hand grenades, mines, rocket-propelled grenades, submachine guns etc.[33] The Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs drafted a joint proposal to the United Nations, seeking a global ban on small-arms sales to non-state users.[31]
Year
14
38
39
35
47
28
80
201
69
87
15
Samir Sinha, head of TRAFFIC India, the wildlife trade monitoring arm of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), told Reuters in an interview "The situation regarding the illegal trade in wildlife parts in India is very grim. It is a vast, a varied trade ranging from smuggling of rare medicinal plants to butterflies to peafowl to tigers and it is difficult to predict how big it is, but the threats and dimensions suggest that the trade is increasing". [34] Project Tiger, a wildlife conservation project, was initiated in 1972 and was launched by Indira Gandhi on 1 April 1973.[40] With 23 tiger reserves, Project Tiger claimed to have succeeded.[40] But according to critics like conservationist Billy Arjan Singh, temporary increases in tiger population were caused by immigration due to destruction of habitat in Nepal, not because of the widely acclaimed success of wildlife policy in India.[40]
Main article: Corruption in India Corruption is widespread in India. It is prevalent within every section and every level of the society.[44] Corruption has taken the role of a pervasive aspect of Indian politics.[45] In India, corruption takes the form of bribes, evasion of tax and exchange controls, embezzlement, etc. Despite state prohibitions against torture and custodial misconduct by the police, torture is widespread in police custody, which is a major reason behind deaths in custody.[46][47] The police often torture innocent people until a 'confession' is obtained to save influential and wealthy offenders.[48] G.P. Joshi, the programme coordinator of the Indian branch of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in New Delhi comments that the main issue at hand concerning police violence is a lack of accountability of the police.[49] In 2006, the Supreme Court of India in a judgment in the Prakash Singh vs. Union of India case, ordered central and state governments with seven directives to begin the process of police reform. The main objectives of this set of directives was twofold, providing tenure to and streamlining the appointment/transfer processes of policemen, and increasing the accountability of the police.[50] In 2006, seven policemen were charge sheeted and eleven were convicted [3] for custodial misconduct. Jan Lokpal Bill is being planned to reduce the corruption.[51]
The Indian state of Rajasthan a popular destination among foreign tourists, with one out of every three foreign travellers visiting the state has been rattled by rape cases of foreign tourists.[68]On 5 December 2009, a Russian woman was raped in Goa by a local politician, John Fernandes. In February 2008, Scarlett Keeling, a British national aged 15, was raped and killed in Goa.[69] In January 2010, a Russian girl aged 9 was raped in Goa;[70] referring to this and earlier cases, Russia threatened to issue an advisory asking its citizens not to travel to the coastal state. [71] The USBureau of Consular Affairs has warned women not to travel alone in India.[59] However in contrast the British Foreign office only advise them to take normal precautions.[72] most recently in 2013 was Swiss woman who was gang raped by 6 men in front of her husband
[73][74]
Name
A ge
Se x
Nation ality
Date
Circumst ances
Place
State
Refere nces
Graham 58 Staines
Male Australia
1999/0 1/22
Link
Timothy 7 Staines
Male Australia
1999/0 1/22
Link
Philip Staines
Male Australia
1999/0 1/22
Link
Michael 23 Blakey
Male
[75][76]
Name
A ge
Se x
Nation ality
Date
Circumst ances
Place
State
Refere nces
Stephen 40 Bennett
Male
Hanged in a jungle
Roha
Maharas htra
[77][78]
Elena Sukhnov 24 a
2006/0 5/08
Goa
[79]
Suspected poisoning
Agra
Uttar Pradesh
[80]
Kirill Gusev
Male Russia
2009
Suspected poisoning
Pernem Goa
[81]
JeanBaptiste 27 Talleu
Male France
2007/1 2/05
Missing since
Bombay
Maharas htra
[82]
Anna Bartlett
25
Head injuries
Manali
Himach al Pradesh
[83]
Missing since
Challal
Himach al Pradesh
[84]
Scarlett 15 Keeling
Anjuna
Goa
[85] [86]
Leos
46
Male
Czech
2007/0
Missing
Leh
Jammu and
[87]
Name Klimes
A ge
Se x
Nation ality
Date
Place
State Kashmir
Refere nces
Republic 8/07