As per the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) latest report, Odisha has ranked among the worst in the country across several crime indicators. The state ranked second after Uttar Pradesh in terms of molestation of women. The total number of crimes reported against women have increased from 20,274 in 2018 to 23,183 in 2019. Odisha stood eighth in the country as per the number of rape cases and seventh for child rape cases.
Meanwhile, Odisha topped the list for the second consecutive year for the highest number of child pornography cases. The state reported a total of 542 child pornography cases surpassing Bihar’s 162 with a big margin. In 2017, the state reported merely eight cases. However, the numbers have increased significantly in the last two years.
The report also shows a 76% increase in cybercrime as compared to 2018. Approximately 1485 cases were reported last year as against 843 in 2018. The NCRB has stated that a majority of these cases are instances of ATM and online banking frauds. Odisha registered a total of 331 ATM frauds, lagging only Bihar and Maharashtra and 545 online banking frauds, ranking second after Maharashtra.
Experts suggest this sudden increase in cybercrime might be a result of lack of awareness among the victims. “Though it is difficult to cite the exact reason for the spurt in cybercrime, inadequate safety precautions on cyberspace could be a strong factor,” said an IT expert.
On the bright side, the report affirms the state’s strong performance in terms of keeping environmental crimes low. Odisha along with the Himachal Pradesh, Goa and the northeastern states have recorded the least number of environmental crimes in 2019. Notably, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Kerala have recorded the most number of environmental crimes.