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MP reports most crimes, Delhi the highest rate

Sunil Jha in New Delhi

Madhya Pradesh has gained the dubious distinction of registering the maximum number of cases under the Indian Penal Code in the country, way ahead of the volatile state of Bihar, terrorism-affected Jammu and Kashmir, and the insurgency-hit Northeast.

But the national capital registered the highest crime rate of 497.6 crimes per 100,000 population, 2.7 times the national rate of 183.2.

According to the latest records released by the National Crime Records Bureau, Madhya Pradesh was one of the four states to report 150,000 or more cases during 1998. It recorded 201,544 IPC cases that year.

The records released by the NCRB, which functions under the Union home ministry, say that in 1998 the country recorded 1.78 million IPC cases, 3.4 per cent more than in 1997. The crime rate also went up 1.8 per cent.

The report names the other three top states as Uttar Pradesh (184,461 IPC offences), Maharashtra (180,288 crimes) and Rajasthan (167,463).

The NCRB, in its 'Crime in India' report for 1998, has put Bihar, often hit by bloody caste clashes, in eighth place with 116,045 cases. It was placed in the second category of states and Union territories registering more than 100,000 but less than 150,000 cases. The others are Tamil Nadu (149,293), Gujarat (125,892), Andhra Pradesh (122,536) and Karnataka (110,533).

Delhi came in the third category with Kerala (93,020), West Bengal (67,950) and Orissa (51,359). The high number of 64,882 IPC cases recorded in this small Union territory is perhaps attributable to the local police force's policy of open registration of cases.

Interestingly, Jammu and Kashmir fell in the fourth category of states recording 50,000 or lesser cases. The terrorism-hit northern state registered 17,420 cases. Assam registered 30,146 cases. The six northeastern states and Sikkim were among the 11 states and Union territories to fall in the fifth category, registering less than 10,000 cases during the year, the NCRB said.

Though Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are among the states with the maximum cases of criminal offences, the number of policemen per 100,000 population is the lowest in these states. Orissa, Kerala, West Bengal and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are the other states or Union territories with the lowest average number of policemen.

The large-scale caste clashes and other violence in Bihar are perhaps attributable at least partly to the fact that the state has the lowest number of policemen - 93 - for every 100,000 population. The only other state to have less than 100 policemen for 100,000 people is Orissa, with 98.

The national average of 136 policemen for every one 100,000 persons is also not very encouraging, especially keeping in mind that most of the states with the highest average of policemen are from the Northeast or the Union territories.

Nagaland has the highest number of 950 policemen for every 100,000 persons, followed by Mizoram with 752, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (714) and Sikkim (623). Five states, including Jammu and Kashmir, have between 400 and 600 policemen for every 100,000 people.

As far as the crime rate is concerned, the national capital is at the top of the table (497.6 incidents per 100,000 population). The frequency of violent crimes was, however, comparatively lower in the capital (one case in 15 reported crimes) compared to Tripura, Nagaland, Bihar, Assam, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Manipur and Meghalaya.

Delhi was followed by Rajasthan in the crime rate with 322 crimes per 100,000 people, Kerala (292.7), Mizoram (281.2), Gujarat (267.3) and Madhya Pradesh (260.4). Punjab, which is overcoming its terrorism-tainted past, was at the bottom with just 73.3 crimes per 100,000 people.

Five states reported an average of 280 to 500 crimes per 100,000 population, 11 between 180 and 280, eight between 110 and 180 and an equal number below 110 cases, the NCRB said.

For the national capital, the rate of disposal of cases under the IPC was also alarming. Only 38.3 per cent of the cases registered are being disposed of, well below the national average of 76.5 per cent.

UNI

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