Among metro cities, Delhi saw highest number of rape cases in ’23

Delhi recorded the highest number of rape cases among India’s metropolitan cities in 2023, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. The national capital also led metropolitan cities in overall crime against women, juvenile offenses and crime against children.

The NCRB’s Crime in India 2023 report shows that a total of 1,088 rape cases were registered in Delhi, followed by Jaipur with 573 cases and Mumbai with 196.

Overall, crimes against women in Delhi declined slightly by 5.7 per cent, with 13,366 cases reported in 2023 compared to 14,158 in 2022. Despite the decline, Delhi also recorded the highest cases of cruelty by husbands (4,219), kidnapping and abduction of women (4,067) and acid attacks (6 cases) among metro cities.

The NCRB report also threw light on juvenile crime in the Capital. Delhi stood out with a juvenile crime rate of 41.1 — the highest in the country and nearly six times the national average.

In the country, a total of 40,036 juveniles were apprehended in connection with these cases, including 34,674 under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 5,362 under special laws for them.

The NCRB noted that a majority of the apprehended juveniles — 79 per cent or 31,610 individuals — belonged to the 16-18 age group.

Among Union Territories, Delhi accounted for 2,278 cases, slightly down from 2,340 the previous year but still dominating the UT tally. Other UTs with high juvenile crime rates included Chandigarh (36.7), Puducherry (27.4), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (20.3) and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (18.7).

Crimes against children also remain a concern as Delhi registered 1,755 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the highest in the country, and 269 child labour cases, again leading among metro cities.