Report cites 51 cases of sedition, 901 under UAPA

The 2017 Crime in India report, released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), saw a 30% jump in cases recorded as “offences against the State.” The total number of cases registered in 2017 stood at 9,013 compared to 6,986 cases registered in 2016. The maximum number of these cases were reported from Haryana (2,576), Uttar Pradesh (2,055) and Tamil Nadu (1,802).

While 51 cases of sedition were reported in 2017, there were 24 cases related to imputation and assertions prejudicial to national integration. Under the Official Secrets Act, 18 cases were reported and 901 cases were registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In 2017, the police across India was investigating 16,170 cases of crimes against the State, of this 7,154 were pending since 2016. As many as 105 cases of sedition and 3,550 cases registered under UAPA were pending investigation from the previous years.

The total number of such cases committed by northeast insurgents stood at 421, with the maximum — 317 — reported from Manipur. Those by Left Wing Extremists stood at 652 and that committed by “jihadi terrorists” was 377.

More than 21,000 incidents of cyber crimes were reported in 2017, a jump from the 12,317 such cases reported in the previous year.. Of these, cyber crimes reported against women stood at 4,242.

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The NCRB report, published after a delay of two years, included 88 new categories including sexual harassment of women at the workplace/public transport, offences relating to elections, obscene acts at public places, circulation of fake news, chit funds, cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Mental Health Act, noise pollution and defacement of public property.

A new category called “anti-national elements” has been added which includes details of “jihadi terrorists, Left Wing Extremism and North East insurgents.”

Cyber stalking

For the first time, “cyber stalking and bullying of women” has been included in the report. A total of 542 cases were reported under this category, with the maximum incidents recorded in Maharashtra (301).

Cyber frauds relating to credit cards stood at 395 cases, for ATMs at 1543 cases, online fraud stood at 804, and 170 cases of posting fake news on social media were also included in the report.

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2017 saw 11,601 persons arrested for various cyber crimes and chargesheets was filed against 8,306 suspects. In the same year, 162 persons were convicted and 751 were acquitted for cyber crime offences.

Data on lynching unreliable: MHA

The Union Home Ministry said on Tuesday that data received by the NCRB on certain crimes like lynching and attacks on journalists were “unreliable and their definitions are also prone to misinterpretation” .

“It was observed that data for certain newly created additional parameters and crime heads are unreliable and their definitions are also prone to misinterpretation. Accordingly, data related to the certain parameters and crime heads have not been published,” the Ministry said.