Hyderabad: At least 17 children were victims of a crime every day in Telangana in 2023, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The data, which was released on September 30, revealed that Telangana registered 6,113 of the 1,77,335 cases of crime against children recorded across the country.
Across India, at least 488 children were victims of crime every day, the data indicated. Telangana alone recorded an 8.02 per cent rise in crimes against children compared to 2022 when the state recorded 5,657 cases.
As per the report, Telangana ranked eighth among Indian states in terms of total reported cases. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 7,93,020 cases (12.7 per cent), followed by Maharashtra with 5,96,103 (9.6 per cent), Kerala with 5,84,373 (9.4 per cent), Tamil Nadu with 5,39,651 (8.6 per cent), Madhya Pradesh with 4,95,708 (7.9 per cent), Bihar with 3,53,502 (5.7 per cent) and Karnataka with 2,14,234 (3.4 per cent). Telangana’s chargesheeting rate was 72.6 per cent.
Of these, the most rampant were cases registered under Pocso Act (3,154), and kidnapping and abduction (1,753). While crimes like murder (45 in 2022, 41 in 2023) and abetment of suicide of a minor (17 in 2022, 16 in 2023) have seen a slight dip, there has been a significant rise in crimes of kidnapping and abduction, and cases under Pocso Act.
Telangana also ranked the worst among southern states in cases of procuration of minor girls. Telangana recorded a total of 76 cases of procuration of minor girls registered under Section 366 A of IPC, which is at least 38 times more than Kerala (2), 15 times more than Karnataka (5), three times more than Andhra Pradesh (26) and 2.5 and 2.7 times more than Maharashtra (30) and Tamil Nadu (28) respectively.
Amongst the metropolitan cities, Hyderabad recorded 724 cases of crimes against children in 2023, as compared to 681 last year. The city accounts for 3.6 per cent of the overall crimes reported across metropolitan cities.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, V. Sandhya, national committee member of the Progressive Organisation for Women (POW), said, “We need more sensitivity towards children from the administration’s side. Children are to be treated as citizens and a responsibility of both the government and their parents, and not just parents.”
