Average 80 murders daily in India in 2020, kidnapping cases down: NCRB

The NCRB stated that there were 88,590 total victims in 84,805 cases of kidnapping and abduction in the country last year. Of these, the majority 56,591 victims were children while the remaining were adults, it added.The NCRB is tasked with collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.

India reported an average of 80 murders daily in 2020, totaling 29,193 fatalities over the year, with Uttar Pradesh topping the chart among states, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data issued on Wednesday.

This was an increase of one percent over the total 28,915 murders in 2019, with a daily average of 79 killings during the year, the data showed.

Cases of kidnapping and abduction, however, went down by over 19 percent in 2020 as compared to 2019.

There were a total of 84,805 lodged cases of kidnapping and abduction in 2020 as against 1,05,036 in 2019, according to the statistics by the NCRB, which functions under the Union home ministry.

Among states, the maximum of 3,779 murder cases in 2020 was lodged in Uttar Pradesh followed by Bihar (3,150), Maharashtra (2,163), Madhya Pradesh (2,101), and West Bengal (1,948), the data showed.

Delhi logged 472 murder cases in 2020, according to the data for the year eclipsed by the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic-induced lockdowns in the country, including the national capital.

Of the total murder victims in the country, the maximum 38.5 percent belonged to the 30-45 years age group followed by 35.9 percent in the 18-30 years category, the NCRB stated.

According to the figures, 16.4 percent of murder victims were in the 45-60 years age category and four percent older than 60 years, while the rest were minors.

Among states, the maximum of 12,913 kidnapping and abductions cases in 2020 were lodged in Uttar Pradesh followed by West Bengal (9,309), Maharashtra (8,103), Bihar (7,889), and Madhya Pradesh (7,320), the data showed.

Delhi registered 4,062 kidnapping and abduction cases during 2020, it showed. The NCRB stated that there were 88,590 total victims in 84,805 cases of kidnapping and abduction in the country last year. Of these, the majority 56,591 victims were children while the remaining were adults, it added.

The NCRB is tasked with collecting and analyzing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.