by Faiqa Masoodi
SRINAGAR: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed there were 3716 cases of crimes against women registered with the Jammu and Kashmir police in 2022. These included 1606 cases of attempts at the modesty of women, 287 cases of rape, 500 cases of cruelty by the husband or his relatives, 886 cases of kidnappings and abductions of women among others.
The crimes recorded a very marginal dip in comparison to 2021 when 3937 crimes against women were registered. There were 3405 crimes against women reported in 2020.
Of the nine dowry deaths in 2022, NCRB reports suggest four took place in Jammu, two in Samba, and one each in Ganderbal, Srinagar, and Kathua.
There were 42 cases recorded for abetment of suicides. These included 17 cases from Jammu, three from Kathua, four from Rajouri, two each from Budgam, Reasi, Budgam, Handwara, and Udhampur and one each from Anantnag, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Ramban and Samba.
Of the four cases of miscarriages, two each were from Kathua and Samba.
The year also saw two acid attacks on women and both were from Srinagar.
There were 500 cases of cruelty by the husbands and their relatives on the women. Srinagar topped with 70 cases, Jammu followed with 60, Rajouri 58, Kupwara 38, Poonch 25, Doda 49, seven each from Anantnag and Awantipoire, 11 each from Bandipore, Handwara and Ramban, 24 from Baramulla, 17 from Budgam, 23 from Gandfervbal, 13 from Kathua, six from Kishtwar.
The NCRB report reveals that there were 886 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women reported from across Jammu and Kashmir in 2022. Of these cases, 118 cases were reported from Jammu, 109 from Srinagar, the two major districts of the erstwhile state. Budgam reported 63 cases, Rajouri 53 cases, and 41 cases each were reported from Kulgam and Kupwara, the records revealed.
Of All these cases, 462 kidnappings were aimed at compelling the girls to marry the kidnapper.
There were 287 cases of rape reported in 2022. Of these cases, 57 were reported from Jammu, 34 from Rajouri, 19 from Anantnag, 15 from Kathua, 12 each from Doda and Srinagar city, 10 from Baramulla, and 14 from Bandipore. The report suggested that in 276 cases, offenders were known to the victims.
There were 237 cases of child rape reported across Jammu and Kashmir in 2022. Of them, 28 cases were reported from Jammu, 17 from Srinagar, 22 from Budgam, 11 each from Kupwara, Sopore, and Pulwama, 10 each from Udhampur from Poonch, 12 from Rajouri, and 17 from Raesi.
There were 25 cases of explicit women-related images being published on the internet and 14 of these cases were reported from Srinagar alone.
The overall scene suggests that Srinagar tops with 446 crimes against women in 2022, followed by Jammu with 431 crimes and Rajouri falls at No 3 position with 306 cases. Kulgam, one of the smallest districts has recorded 200 crimes against women in 2022. Udhampur district recorded 145 crimes in the year.
As far as follow-up to the registration of cases is concerned, the report said that of the 5667 cases taken up for investigation, 1929 cases were pending investigation from the previous year.
