375,058 women, 90,113 girls went missing in India in 2021, MP & Maharashtra top the list: NCRB

The highest number of women and girls who go missing in India are from Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, according to the data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

According to NCRB, the two States recorded the maximum number of cases of missing girls and women among all other States in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.

In 2021 alone, a staggering 375,058 women above the age of 18 were reported missing across the country, along with at least 90,113 girls below the age of 18. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement.

The ministry in a press release said “It is the responsibility of respective state governments to maintain law and order, including investigation and prosecution of crimes against women,”.

Maharashtra government has also taken several steps for women’s safety such as the prevention of atrocities against women’s cells, Mahila Police Kaksha (Women Help Desk Police station level), Mahila Suraksha Samittee, Anti Human Trafficking Unit and Investigative Units Crime against Women.

The Centre has taken a number of initiatives for the safety of women across the country including enacting the Criminal Law (Amendment), Act 2013 for effective deterrence against sexual offences.

Further, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 was enacted to prescribe even more stringent penal provisions including the death penalty for rape of girls below the age of 12 years, it said.

The act also inter-alia mandates completion of investigation and filing of charge sheet in rape cases in 2 months and trials to be completed in 2 months, it said, adding that the ‘Emergency Response Support System’ provides a pan-India, single internationally recognized number (112) based system for all emergencies, with computer-aided dispatch of field resources to the location of distress.

Using technology to aid smart policing and safety management, Safe City Projects have been sanctioned in the first Phase in 8 cities (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai), it added.

The MHA also launched a cyber-crime reporting portal on 20th September 2018 and the “National Database on Sexual Offenders” (NDSO) on 20th September 2018 to facilitate the investigation and tracking of sexual offenders across the country by law enforcement agencies.

MHA launched an online analytic tool “Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences” for Police on 19th February 2019 to facilitate monitoring and tracking of time-bound investigations in sexual assault cases in accordance with Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2018, it said.

In order to improve investigation, MHA has taken steps to strengthen DNA analysis units in Central and State Forensic Science Laboratories. This includes setting up of State-of-the-Art DNA Analysis Unit in Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Chandigarh. MHA has also sanctioned the setting up and upgrading of DNA Analysis units in State Forensic Science Laboratories after gap analysis and demand assessment.

MHA has notified guidelines for the collection of forensic evidence in sexual assault cases and the standard composition of a sexual assault evidence collection kit.

To facilitate adequate capacity in manpower, training and skill-building programs have been undertaken for investigation officers, prosecution officers and medical officers, it said.

Bureau of Police Research & Development has distributed 14,950 Sexual Assault Evidence Collection Kits to States/ UTs as orientation kits as part of training, the MHA said, adding that it has also approved two projects for setting up and strengthening Women Help Desks in Police Stations and Anti-Human Trafficking Units in all districts of the country.

In addition to the above-mentioned measures, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued advisories from time to time with a view to helping the States/UTs to deal with crimes against women, which are available at www.mha.gov.in.

In addition to this, the Ministry of Women & Child Development has set up 733 one-stop centres in the country.

“These centres provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and in distress, under one roof and provide an integrated range of services including medical aid, legal aid, temporary shelter, police assistance, psycho-social counselling,” it added.

Source: Crime in India