Kolkata: West Bengal recorded 34,691 cases of crimes against women in 2023, the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows. Adding 10,024 pending cases from 2022, the total caseload under investigation in 2023 reached 44,731.
The state police disposed of 34,344 cases during the year, maintained an impressive 93.8 % rate of filing charge-sheets, and reported a pendency rate of 23.2 %. The data also shows 1,110 rape cases — including 27 of minors — and highlights that in many instances the perpetrator was known to the victim. The NCRB breakdown lists the dominant crime categories as domestic cruelty, kidnapping & abduction, sexual assault, rape, and POCSO offences.
Nationally, India logged 4,48,211 crimes against women in 2023, a slight rise from 4,45,256 in 2022 and 4,28,278 in 2021. This corresponds to a national crime rate of 66.2 incidents per lakh female population, based on mid-year projections of 6,770 lakh females.
The overall charge-sheeting rate stood at 77.6 %. Among states, Uttar Pradesh led with 66,381 reported cases, followed by Maharashtra (47,101), Rajasthan (45,450), West Bengal (34,691), and Madhya Pradesh (32,342).
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In terms of crime rate per 100,000 women, Telangana topped the chart at 124.9, followed by Rajasthan (114.8), Odisha (112.4), Haryana (110.3), and Kerala (86.1).
The largest share of offences was attributed to cruelty by husband or relatives under Section 498A IPC, with 133,676 cases. Kidnapping and abduction accounted for 88,605 cases, and sexual assault (other than rape) for 22,149. Rape (adult and minor combined) registered 29,670 incidents; attempts to rape numbered 2,796; and acid attacks were reported in 113 cases. Under special and local laws, 87,850 additional cases were registered.
The Dowry Prohibition Act saw 15,489 cases; 40,046 child-rape cases under POCSO; 8,823 insults to modesty; and other offences under domestic violence and sexual harassment laws.
Police investigation figures showed 185,961 cases pending from earlier years. With new cases and transfers, the total investigation load reached 6,35,159 cases; of these, 1,82,219 were charge-sheeted in 2023, resulting in a pendency of 28.7 %. At courts, 21,84,756 earlier pending trials were joined by 3,50,937 new filings and 6,276 reopened cases, totaling 25,35,693. Court pendency stood at 23,03,657, or 90.8 % of the total.
In the year, 6,67,940 persons were arrested for crimes against women — 587,441 men, 80,490 women, and 9 transgender individuals.
While the NCRB cautions that these are police-recorded numbers and may understate actual prevalence, the data underscores both the scale of crimes against women and the challenges in disposal and prosecution.
The figures also reflect the “principal offence” rule, which counts only the gravest charge when multiple offences are listed in a single FIR
(with inputs from PTI)
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