Chennai, 1 October (H.S.) : The latest Crime in India 2023 report, released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), has presented a mixed assessment of the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. While the state managed to keep its overall crime rate (264.9 per lakh population) slightly below the national average (270.3), the data highlighted a worrisome increase in offences against vulnerable groups, particularly Dalits and children. Conversely, the report noted a general decline in murders and other violent crimes across the state.
Incidents registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act saw a notable rise of 9.1 per cent, climbing from 1,761 cases in 2022 to 1,921 in 2023. Over a five-year period, the state recorded a dramatic 68 per cent jump in such cases, increasing from 1,144 in 2019 to 1,921 last year, with a particularly sharp 27.9 per cent spike observed 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. The city of Chennai mirrored this trend, seeing child-related crime cases increase from 514 to 573. Meanwhile, crimes against women saw a mild decrease, falling from 9,207 cases in 2022 to 8,943 in 2023.
Other crime categories showed varied trends. Murders across Tamil Nadu marginally declined from 1,690 to 1,681 cases, although Chennai reported a small uptick from 101 to 105. Overall violent crimes, encompassing culpable homicide not amounting to murder, grievous hurt, infanticide, and attempts to murder, saw a reduction 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, though Chennai experienced a slight rise from 391 to 399 cases. Juvenile crimes increased from 2,607 to 2,999, and increases were also noted in cyber crimes and offences registered by the Railway Protection Force and other state agencies.
Experts suggested that the figures reflect both progress and persistent challenges within the state. They noted that the encouraging reduction in violent crime and improvements in women's safety are offset by the sharp rise in cases against Dalits and children. These experts argue that this increase signals urgent gaps in social protection measures and the need for more targeted policing efforts. They further emphasized that the data should be used to guide the implementation of stronger community outreach programmes and faster response mechanisms from law enforcement agencies.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Dr. R. B. Chaudhary
