BHUBANESWAR : Odisha is among the top three states of the country when it comes to human trafficking as well as the number of missing children, according to the latest report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The just-released Crime In India (CII) 2022 report says as many as 1,120 people were trafficked from Odisha last year, the highest among the states in the country. Maharashtra (805) and Bihar (751) came next. The state also recorded the second highest number of cases of trafficking of minor girls. Around 140 girls were trafficked from Odisha and the state was only behind Bihar (149).
It also recorded third highest number of cases relating to missing children. Around 5,581 children went missing in 2022; the number was just behind Madhya Pradesh (5,769) and Maharashtra (6,323). Missing children are deemed as kidnapped. However, the number of murders witnessed a drop. Last year, 1,379 murders were reported against 1,394 cases in 2021. Rape cases saw a marginal rise - from 1,456 in 2021 to 1,464 last year.
The NCRB 2022 report also pointed that the state reported the highest number of cyber crimes against women in the country. With 542 cases, at a rate of 2.4 per 1 lakh population, it was followed by Uttar Pradesh (457) and Karnataka (235). At least 203 incidents of cyber crimes against women were reported in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, 108 in Andhra Pradesh.
Odisha was also among the top two states which reported maximum incidents where obscene videos of girls got published or circulated online. Uttar Pradesh reported 450 such cases, followed by Odisha (269). In other women-centric cyber crimes (blackmailing, defamation, morphing and fake profile), Odisha reported 273 incidents. No other state reported 100-plus cases with Uttarakhand placed a distant second with 93 such incidents.
The state also reported the second highest number of incidents related to assault or use of criminal force on women with an intent to disrobe. After Uttar Pradesh where 1,915 victims faced the crimes, Odisha came second with 1,731 incidents. As per the NCRB report, Odisha also reported the second highest number of murder cases related to dowry and political motives. Out of 1,402 people murdered last year, 252 were killed for dowry and eight for political reasons in the state.
The highest dowry related murders were in West Bengal (322) while Jharkhand topped with 17 political murders. In violent crimes like attempt to murder, the state reported the second highest number of such incidents. Around 10,096 people were attacked in Bihar with intent to murder followed by 5,850 in Odisha.
CRIME RECORDS
1,120 people trafficked from Odisha in 2022
5,581 children deemed as kidnapped in state
542 cyber crimes against women reported in Odisha
273 incidents of other women-centric cyber crimes
1,731 victims assaulted with intent to disrobe in state