NCRB data spells good news for Andhra Pradesh: 6.5% decline in violent crimes
TIRUPATI: Compared to previous years, Andhra Pradesh appeared slightly safer last year with violent crimes being reported in the state declining to 7,670. The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2019 shows a 6.5 per cent decline in overall violent crimes in the state, compared to that of 2018.
Analysis of data from the past four years shows that the rate of violent crimes peaked in 2017 at 11 per cent over 2016. The total violent crimes reported in 2017 was 8,288; it slightly declined to 8,211 in 2018; and to 7,670 in 2019.
Last year also saw a small decline in heinous crimes like murder (870), dowry deaths (112), attempt to murder (1,536), kidnapping and abduction (902), attempt to rape (177) and so on.
However, the number of rape cases had seen a marginal increase from 971 in 2018 to 1,086 last year, while cases related to crimes like robbery and infanticide also rose.
Like previous years, 2019 also saw a fall in murder cases, with the only 870 cases reported across the state. The murder rate was at an all-time low of 1.7 per cent and the state accounts for three per cent of the overall murders that took place in India last year.
In 2017 and 2018, the state recorded over 1,054 and 935 murder cases, respectively. In all, 923 persons, including 34 child victims, lost their lives in connection with last year’s murder cases. In 2018, the death toll was 997, including 52 child victims and in 2017 it was 1,124, including 60 child victims.
The worrying factor is that the state has reported the second highest number of murders due to religious and communal reasons and the third highest number of murders due to political reasons in the country last year.
The number of murders due to religious and communal reasons stood at four, while Bihar topped with seven. Murders due to political reasons stood at six, while West Bengal continues to be on top with 12, followed by six in Bihar and Jharkhand each.
Casteism was the motive of murder in six cases and AP has been sharing the third spot along with Arunachal Pradesh and Telangana state in this regard, after Uttar Pradesh with 20 and Karnataka with seven.
Meanwhile, 164 crimes related to illicit relationships were recorded last year. This is the fourth highest after Maharashtra with 245, Tamil Nadu with 211 and Madhya Pradesh with 169.
Cases related to various disputes were recorded as 738, followed by personal vendetta, 56, gain, 46, love affair, 23, dowry, 14, other motives, seven and motive unknown, 24.
