Chennai, Oct 1 (IANS) The latest Crime in India 2023 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), released after more than a year’s delay, has painted a mixed picture for Tamil Nadu’s law and order. While crimes against Dalits and children have increased noticeably, the state has seen a decline in murders and other violent offences, keeping its overall crime rate slightly below the national average.

According to the report, Tamil Nadu recorded a crime rate of 264.9 per lakh population in 2023, compared with India’s 270.3. However, incidents registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act surged by 9.1 per cent, rising from 1,761 in 2022 to 1,921 in 2023.

Over a five-year span, the state saw a dramatic 68 per cent jump in such cases — from 1,144 in 2019 to 1,921 last year — with a sharp 27.9 per cent spike noted in 2022 alone.

Crimes against children also rose, with 6,968 cases filed in 2023 compared to 6,580 in 2022 and 6,064 in 2021. Chennai reflected this upward trend, seeing child-related crime cases increase from 514 to 573. Conversely, crimes against women saw a mild drop, falling to 8,943 cases in 2023 from 9,207 the previous year.

Murders across Tamil Nadu fell marginally, from 1,690 to 1,681 cases, though Chennai reported a small uptick, from 101 to 105.

Overall, violent crimes — including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, grievous hurt, infanticide, and attempts to murder — reduced from 12,325 to 11,302 cases.

Kidnapping and abduction cases registered one of the steepest declines, plunging from 737 to 496. Crimes against senior citizens also dropped, from 2,376 cases in 2022 to 2,104 in 2023, although Chennai bucked the trend with a slight rise from 391 to 399 cases.

However, certain worrying categories grew. Juvenile crimes increased from 2,607 to 2,999, while cyber crimes and offences registered by the Railway Protection Force and other state agencies also went up.

Experts say the figures underline both progress and persistent challenges. While reduced violent crime and women’s safety improvements are encouraging, the sharp rise in cases against Dalits and children signals urgent gaps in social protection and targeted policing. The data, they note, should guide stronger community outreach and faster response mechanisms.

–IANS

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