Kamal Ghorui
Panaji: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data reveals that Goa has a 13.3% crime rate, which is the highest crime rate in terms of rape cases registered in the country in 2024. In 2024, a total of 105 rape cases were registered in the state, and there were 106 survivors in those cases.A total of 19 first information reports (FIRs) were registered for stalking women in Goa and two cases of dowry deaths. As per the NCRB, the crime rate is defined as crimes per lakh population.Goa is followed by Rajasthan (12.2%), Arunachal Pradesh (9.9%), Haryana (9.6%), and Himachal Pradesh (8.7%).Crime rates of states have been arrived at using the mid-year projected population of respective states/UTs of 2024 based on 2011 Census (Report of the technical group on population projections, July 2020, national commission on population, health ministry).Similarly, a total of 42 cases were registered for assault or use of criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty. Only one case of mental harassment and two cases of sexual harassment of women in public transport system were registered during the same period.Goa police registered four cases of assault or use of criminal force to women with intent to disrobe. There is not a single case of kidnapping, abduction or inducing women to compel her for marriage in the state. Similarly, 276 FIRs were registered in the state in connection with other offences against woman and child.A senior Goa police officer said that awareness among women, children and NGOs, accessibility towards criminal justice system and registration of cases so that survivor does not have grievances are some of the reasons for the high crime rate against women in the state.“We register rape case as soon as a survivor comes to the police station and act against the accused,” the officer said.Rise in crime and increase in registration of crime by police are clearly two different things, a fact which requires better understanding. Thus an of repeated expectation from certain quarters that an effective police administration will be able to keep the crime figures low, is misplaced, the NCRB said.“Increase in crime numbers in a state police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen-centric police initiatives, like launching of e-FIR facility or women helpdesks. The increase or decrease in crime numbers, however, does call for a professional investigation of underlying factors pertaining to the local communities to suitably address the pertinent issues,” the NCRB said.
