Bhubaneswar: Odisha recorded the highest number of cases of assault or use of criminal force on women with intent to disrobe in 2023, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
A total of 1,978 such incidents were registered under Section 354B of the Indian Penal Code,
The state reported 25,914 cases of crime against women in 2023, which is the sixth highest in the country.
Odisha also topped the list in 2023 with 761 women-related cybercrime cases, including offences like sharing sexually explicit content, blackmail, defamation, morphing, and fake profiles. It recorded 9,367 cases of assault on women with intent to outrage modesty, the fourth-highest in India.
Odisha was seventh among states with 1,195 rape cases. It reported 15 deaths due to rape/gangrape and 231 dowry deaths, fourth and sixth highest in the country respectively. ‘Cruelty by husband or relatives’ accounted for 5534 cases.
There were five cases of acid attacks on women in 2023.
Additionally, Odisha and Karnataka each reported 30 cases of child pornography use and storage, placing them fourth nationally.
Odisha registered 5,611 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women, ranking seventh among states and union territories. There were 64 cases of kidnapping for marriage and eight for ransom.
Despite the 9.6% increase in offences against women, the number of arrests decreased from 9,240 in 2022 to 7,563 in 2023. Conviction rates in such cases also dipped, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s ‘Crime In India’ report for 2023 released on Tuesday.
The conviction rate for these crimes fell to a mere 6.9% in 2023, well below the national average of 21.3% and down from 9.2% in 2022, raising concerns about the quality of investigations and prosecutions. The report noted 670 convictions and 9,104 acquittals in 2023, compared to 671 convictions and 6,613 acquittals in 2022.