THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The crime graph of Kerala has crossed the seven-lakh mark for the first time in 2016 to reach 7,07,541. Crime against women and children also maintained the upward trend, according to the state police's provisional crime statistics. The increase in the number was also comparatively higher than the previous two years. The number of cases during 2015 was 6,54,008, which increased by 53,533 and reached 7,07,541 in 2016. During 2014, it was only 6,10,365, which increased by 43,643 to reach 65,4008 in 2015.
Crimes against women, which had shown a declining trend during 2015 compared to 2014, has again witnessed an upward trend in 2016 to touch 14,061. The corresponding figures of 2015 were 12,383 and 13,880 in 2014. Molestation, cruelty by husband or relatives and rape are the major offences. Rapes recorded a steep increase during 2016 to reach 1,644 compared to 1,256 in 2015. Crimes against children also witnessed a comparatively steep increase to touch 2,899 in 2016 from 2,384 in 2015, an increase by 515. The increase during 2014 to 2015 was only 98. Like previous years, rape topped the tally during 2016 also with 929.
The state could heave a sigh of relief that the number of murders during 2016 was the lowest in the last several years. There were 299 murders in 2016 while it was 334 in 2015, 367 in 2014 and 372 in 2013. Cases of dacoity, robbery, burglary and thefts also witnessed a decline. While the cases registered for these offences during 2016 was 11,234, it was 12,558 and 13,792 in the previous two years. Meanwhile, cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Abkari Act witnessed an increase. While Abkari cases increased from 58,197 in 2015 to 65,069 in 2016, NDPS cases increased from 4,103 to 5,920.
