Thursday, 11 Sep, 2025
Crimes against women in India increased significantly between 2018 and 2022. Image Credits: IANS
According to the National Crime Record Bureaus’s (NCRB) Crime in India Report 2022, India registered a total of 4,45,256 cases under the category “crime against women.”
After three suspected gang rapes surfaced in a matter of days, Odisha is in the news for a string of disturbing sexual assault cases that have been reported across the state. According to police officials cited by PTI on Thursday, the latest case involved a 31-year-old woman from the Mayurbhanj district who was allegedly raped by four men, all of whom are allegedly acquainted with her family. The incident took place on Monday evening in a village that is under the Baripada Sadar police station's jurisdiction.
The accused entered the house while he and other family members were away, according to the FIR that the woman's husband filed. The victim was allegedly taken to a different location where the assault occurred, which was under the jurisdiction of a different police station. They said that after escorting the victim to a different area of the area that was served by a different police station, the four men raped her.
They allegedly threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the assault after it had occurred. The woman is currently being treated at a government hospital after being admitted. Reports state that her condition is stable. The victim has identified all four of the accused, but they are currently avoiding capture, according to Aditya Prasad Jena, inspector-in-charge of the Baripada Sadar police station. Jena claims that "a special team has been formed to trace and arrest the accused."
The incident is in line with a number of similar crimes that have been reported this week. A 20-year-old college student was allegedly raped by ten or so men at Gopalpur beach in Ganjam district on Sunday while celebrating the Raja festival with a friend.
The police have detained all ten of the accused, including four minors. The six adults have been identified as the main offenders. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) to ensure that investigations are conducted promptly and effectively.
In a third case, the body of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped and killed was found hanging from a tree in Keonjhar district on Tuesday. After leaving her home to relieve herself, the minor went missing on Monday night. According to Laxmikant Pradhan, the inspector-in-charge of the Pandapada police station, two people have been arrested in relation to the case.
The instances of crime against women in India are rising day by day. According to the National Crime Record Bureaus’s (NCRB) Crime in India Report 2022, India registered a total of 4,45,256 cases under the category “crime against women,” reflecting a 4 percent increase from 4,28,278 cases in 2021, an average of about 51 cases every hour. The crime rate stood at 66.4 cases per lakh population, up from 64.5 in 2021. Under the Indian Penal Code, the most prevalent offence was cruelty by husband or his relatives, accounting for 31.4 percent of cases, followed by kidnapping and abduction (19.2 percent), assault with intent to outrage modesty (18.7 percent), and rape (7.1 percent).
Source: National Crime Record Bureau
Crimes against women in India increased significantly between 2018 and 2022. The number of incidents increased by 7 percent from roughly 378,000 in 2018 to roughly 406,000 in 2019. The number of cases decreased by 8.3 percent to about 371,500 in the pandemic year of 2020. But in 2021, there was a notable uptick, with cases rising by almost 15 percent to 428,278. The increasing trend persisted into 2022, when there were 445,256 cases, a 4 percent increase from the previous year. Complex influences like pandemic-related restrictions and larger societal factors are reflected in these fluctuations.
There were 31,516 registered rape cases in 2022, a slight decline from 31,677 in 2021, including over 1,000 victims below age 18. Among them, Delhi recorded the highest crime rate, with 14,158 cases and a rate of 144.4 per lakh, nearly double the national average. In absolute terms, Uttar Pradesh led with 65,743 cases, followed by Maharashtra (45,331), Rajasthan (45,058), West Bengal (34,738), and Madhya Pradesh (32,765). Delhi again headed the metro list with 14,158 cases.
Cases involving murder with rape or gang‑rape numbered 248, a slight dip from the previous year. Additionally, dowry deaths, a form of domestic violence, remain a major concern, though national figures for 2022 weren’t detailed in this report.
Overall, the NCRB's 2022 report presents a sobering picture: rape, albeit at a lower rate, is consistently serious, and crimes against women continue to rise, with domestic abuse being the most common. In order to protect women and guarantee prompt justice, systemic reforms—from fast-track courts to stronger protection laws and improved policing, are desperately needed. This is highlighted by high urban crime rates, particularly in Delhi, and persistent challenges in offering an effective legal response.
