New Delhi: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which functions under the Union Home Ministry, in its latest data issued on Wednesday stated approximately 77 rape cases were reported across the country on an average every day in 2020, totalling to 28,046 such incidents during the year.
The NCRB data showed that 3,71,503 cases of crime against women were overall reported across India last year, down from 4,05,326 in 2019 and 3,78,236 in 2018.
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The data added that there were 28,046 incidents of rape involving 28,153 victims of the total cases of crimes against women in 2020.
Out of the total victims, 25,498 were adults, while 2,655 were below the age of 18 years, according to the NCRB data for the year, which witnessed Covid-19 outbreak and pandemic-induced lockdowns, PTI reported.
As per the NCRB data from the corresponding years, the number of rape cases stood at 32,033 in 2019, 33,356 in 2018, 32,559 in 2017 and 38,947 in 2016.
The maximum rape cases were lodged in Rajasthan (5,310) followed by Uttar Pradesh (2,769), Madhya Pradesh (2,339), Maharashtra (2,061) and Assam (1,657) last year.
The data issued by the NCRB, which is responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and by special and local laws in the country, showed Delhi logged 997 such cases during the year.
The data also showed that of the total crimes against women in 2020, the maximum 1,11,549 were under the category “cruelty by husband or relatives”, while there were 62,300 cases of kidnapping and abduction.
There were 85,392 cases of “assault to outrage modesty” and 3,741 cases of “attempt to commit rape” besides rape, the NCRB data showed, adding there were 105 cases of acid attack logged across India during 2020.
Besides, the data also showed that the country recorded 6,966 cases of dowry deaths with 7,045 victims in 2020.