Earlier this year, soon after the national Covid-19 lockdown was imposed, a section of the Uttar Pradesh police claimed that crime in western UP had fallen by 70 per cent in April 2020, compared to the same period last year. This was stated by the UP Police’s Meerut Zone as reported in the Indian Express. The area police had stated that the region recorded 35 murders in that month against 50 in the corresponding period in 2019, while robberies went down from 992 to 114. There were 16 kidnappings and seven cases of rape in the area in April, 2020 against 110 and 34 last year. The police are reported to have attributed the fall to policing and lockdown restrictions.

It is now September, and the lockdown is slowly being lifted according to the Covid-19 situation in each state. However, major crimes, some heinous, continue to make it to the news from UP. Some are shared as viral videos and photographs.

According to a day old police report in IE, a 25-year-old identified as Aryaman Yadav was seen running around the terrace of a house and shooting in the air. He was overpowered by a group of villagers who thrashed him with sticks and stones. Aryaman died of the injuries sustained. According to news reports, in the videos of the lynching, policemen can be seen present at the spot. The mob beat this 25-year-old man to death after he allegedly shot dead a government school teacher at Rampur Bangra village in Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh on Monday reported the IE. Eventually the local station house officer, Harendra Kumar Mishra, was suspended for negligence, stated the report.

According to police, Aryaman went to 35-year-old Sudhir Singh’s ancestral home at Rampur Bangra village in the morning and told Sudhir’s family that he had come from Gorakhpur and was a friend of Sudhir’s elder brother Rajesh Singh. The Singh family allowed him to come and asked him to wait in the drawing-room as Sudhir was taking a shower. “When Sudhir entered the drawing-room, Aryaman immediately pulled out a pistol and shot Sudhir in his chest. Sudhir died on the spot,” Circle Officer (Tamkuhiraj) Phool Chand Ram was quoted by IE. 

On hearing gunfire, some villagers rushed towards Sudhir’s residence, in an attempt to escape, Aryaman ran towards the terrace of Sudhir’s house, brandishing the gun and threatening to shoot. He also fired in the air twice. A police team, too, reached the spot and asked Aryaman to surrender, but he fired at the policemen, stated the report. According to police, Aryaman came down from the terrace and ran towards a room in Sudhir’s house when the villagers overpowered him and beat him to death. Sudhir was a government teacher at a primary school in the neighbouring Gopalganj district in Bihar. The Police is yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder. The investigation is on, they state.

Another video soon surfaced on social media that showed a man being thrashed mercilessly by another, while both are behind bars in a police cell. The incident is from Hapur.

#यूपी में एक और #लिंचिंग#हापुड़ – शराब के ठेके में बंद करके युवक पर बरसाई लाठियां।
यूपी में कानून कहां कोई पता करो !
@Uppolice @rohini_sgh @vinodkapri @abhisar_sharma @pankhuripathak @Ashok_Kashmir @juhiesingh @umashankarsingh @Benarasiyaa @ManojSinghKAKA @SanjayAzadSln pic.twitter.com/5FCQU0Zig5

— Prashant Shukla (प्रशान्त शुक्ल) (@JournoPrashant) September 7, 2020

Here, the police state that both the accused have been arrested, and  an NCR registered by police station Hapur. “Advance legal action is being taken,” they stated.

उक्त प्रकरण में थाना हापुड़ नगर पुलिस द्वारा एनसीआर पंजीकृत कर दोनों अभियुक्तों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया है।
अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।

— HAPUR POLICE (@hapurpolice) September 8, 2020

Seeking justice in the murder of his son, a Noida, UP resident Gulshan Kumar Kalra, seemed to have signed up on Twitter with a single focus this month, “Our beloved son Akshay Kalra was murdered just 100 meters away from our home in affluent Sector 62 Noida, ruining our family forever. This heinous act was perpetuated due to rising crime and incompetence @Uppolice,” he posted. The grieved father (sic) has voiced what many are afraid to say about UP’s crime graph rising faster than Covid-19 cases in the state. “We request everyone to fight #JusticeForAkshayKalra,” he added.

Our beloved son Akshay Kalra was murdered just 100 meters away from our home in affluent Sector 62 Noida, ruining our family forever. This heinous act was perpetuated due to rising crime and incompetence @Uppolice. We request everyone to fight #JusticeForAkshayKalra 1/2 pic.twitter.com/EtByISwT4y

— Gulshan Kumar Kalra (@Gulshan76571060) September 7, 2020

And the worst of the last two days is the case of the taxi driver who was attacked with a key, and allegedly asked to chant ‘Jai Sree Ram’. The dying man’s son recorded his last phone call home, where he did not speak, but the attackers could be heard. The 45-year-old cab driver was killed in Greater Noida, stated multiple news reports. His family alleged that it was a communal hate crime. However, the local police have denied that claim. According to news reports, the police have said that the victim, Aftab Alam, was found injured in his cab in Badalpur area in Greater Noida, following which he was admitted to a nearby hospital where he died during treatment.

A report in the Hindustan Times states that police confirmed Alam, who lived in Delhi’s Trilokpuri area, had first picked up a passenger from Gurgaon on Sunday night, through a ride hailing mobile application. The drop location was somewhere in Bulandshahr, and while returning he was attacked in Badalpur. “A patrolling vehicle that was passing by found the Delhi-registered taxi parked along the Badalpur-Dadri bypass road. When checked, the victim was found severely injured on the seat adjoining the driver’s seat. The police rushed him to a hospital where he died during treatment,” deputy commissioner of police, central Noida, Harish Chander said in a media statement. An FIR has been lodged at the Badalpur police station under IPC sections 302 (murder) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), the police said. They added they have identified the suspects and a search is on to arrest them.

However, Alam’s kin have alleged and told the media that he was lynched by three suspects after picking up the three passengers, “My father noticed something unusual with the activities of the three. He made a phone call to me and placed his mobile phone by the side without uttering a word. I recorded 41 minute audio. At 8:39 minutes, the three persons asked my father to utter – Jai Shri Ram,” alleged Sabir Mohammed, the slain driver’s son. The family contacted the Mayur Vihar police station and the police traced the call’s last location to Chithera village in Badalpur police station area in Greater Noida. Eventually, the family reached the location, then the hospital to discover that the cab driver was dead. “We suspect he was lynched by those suspects in a hate crime,” alleged Sabir, adding that  he had asked the Badalpur police to mention the content of audio in the FIR but the police had assured that they will investigate the audio and add it later.

The HT reports that Harish Chander, deputy commissioner of police, Noida Central, however, said this is not a case of lynching. “The suspects were asking some vendor to chant Jai Shri Ram, and not to the taxi driver. We have identified the suspects through CCTV cameras from a toll plaza and launched a search to arrest them. The suspect had boarded the cab from Bulandshahr. Later the case will be transferred to the concerned district,” Chander said.

इस प्रकरण में मुकदमा पंजीकृत है, विवेचना जारी है। जहां तक ऑडियो रिकॉर्डिंग का प्रश्न है उसको सुना गया है, मृतक को कोई भी नारा लगाने के लिए नहीं कहा गया है बल्कि किसी और से खरीदारी करते वक्त ये वाक्य आया है फिर भी हर बिंदू पर विवेचना प्रचलित है। https://t.co/RetXe4iaND

— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE NOIDA (@noidapolice) September 7, 2020

Wait, it gets worse, The Wire reports that a Dalit man died after being lynched by a group of men allegd to be  members of a rightwing organisation. The incident is from Sunday evening, where five men assaulted 45-year-old Sarvesh Diwakar, he died on Monday in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri. Opposition parties have alleged that the five were members of the rightwing Hindu organisation, Bajrang Dal, reported The Wire. The police are reportedly “unconvinced of the five men’s political affiliation.”

Mainpuri police released a statement urging people not to spread rumours while denying any Bajrang Dal links with the assault, “We have not established any connection of the accused men to any outfit so far. In the eyes of the law they are mere criminals. Please do not spread rumours.” However local media reports claimed that Diwakar, a daily wage worker, was targeted by the five accused after rumours spread that he had sold off his daughter. He is said to have sent the girl to stay with relatives, apparently so she could continue her studies there as the lockdown left Diwakar jobless. He also sent his wife to another relative’s house in Kolkata, a reporter who covered the incident told The Wire. 

While a video of his assault which went viral on social media showing five men kicking and slapping Diwakar even as he appeared to plead for mercy. However, the mob continued to beat him until he was immobile. According to The Wire, Police claimed they have arrested four of the five involved in the crime. The Opposition is collecting political fodder for sure, as crimes rage on in Uttar Pradesh. However, Chief Minister Adityanath, is yet to share any concrete plans for stopping this rise in crime in his state which he had envisioned will be rid of the scourge under his government. 

Related:

Why did Priyanka Gandhi’s comment on crime in UP get so many official responses?
Kidnapping, rape, torture, murder; just another long weekend in Uttar Pradesh
UP’s crime graph rises further, BJP politician Sanjay Khokhar shot dead
Is this the “Ram Rajya” promised by the BJP: Congress attacks UP govt 

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Feature Image Credit: FeminismIndia

More than 43,000 atrocitiesagainst Dalitswere registered in 2017 as having been committed by non-members of the SC and ST communities.56 per cent of the total registered atrocities in 2017 were committed only in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar combined.Uttar Pradesh had the most number of complaints registered against SC atrocities in all three years covered in the report, with 8,357 in 2015, 10,426 in 2016 and11,444 in 2017. This means that more than a quarter of the total caste-related crimes occurred in Uttar Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest total crime rate against scheduled caste in the same year at nearly 52. This means that around 52 out of every one lakh SC member in the state was subjected to atrocities in the year. To compare numbers, the national average crime rate is about 22. The state also featured on the third spot on the list of most number of crimes against SC in 2017.

Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir had no reports of SC atrocities in 2017. Rajasthan showed steady decrease in the SC atrocities (5911 in 2015, 5134 in 2016,4238 in 2017).

Haryana witnessed a spike of 19.24 per cent in the number of registered crimesagainst scheduled castes, with 762 in 2017 compared to 693 committed in 2016.The report came in time towhen the state was going to the polls.News18 reported that Dalits form the second biggest group of voters in Haryana, constituting 22 per cent of its total voters.

Total of registered crimes from all union territories came to 81. Out of this total, Delhi registered 48, Puducherry had 32 and Chandigarh reported 1 atrocity.

Out of the data collated from metropolitan cities, Lucknow has the biggest share of registered crimes. Its 299 registered crimes amount to 21.4 per cent of the total complaints registered in metropolitan cities. Indore’s number of SC atrocities dropped to zero in 2017 from 55 in 2015.

The report also tabulated disposal of persons arrested for atrocities in metropolitan cities. 1738 individuals were arrested under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in 2017, out of which 1637 were chargesheeted.

The NCRB data is a valuable resource that allows for assessment of the common cries committed in the country. The Indian Express reported that the Board has purposely left out data on mob lynching, religious and khappanchayat murders despite having collected and compiled in.

Related:
Two Dalit Kids Beaten to Death for Defecating in Open: MP
Dalit youth set ablaze in horrific caste crime, contradictory versions of incident surface: UP
Abuse & Discrimination Blacken India’s Institutes of ‘Higher Learning’

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A foreign tourist looks on at a ghat in Varanasi. In 2015, 365 crimes against foreigners in India were registered, of which 223 were theft cases, according to National Crime Records Bureau data.

 
The American said she was raped by her tour guide, two hotel staffers and two other men.
 
In 2015, 365 crimes against foreigners in India were registered, of which 147 (40%) were in Delhi, followed by Maharashtra (53) and Uttar Pradesh (33), according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
 
Of these 365 crimes, 271 were against tourists and the rest against foreigners resident in India. The number of crimes, however, was 25% lesser than the 486 registered in 2014.
 

 
61% of crimes against foreigners were thefts
 
Of the 365 crimes registered, 223 were theft cases, followed by assault with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty (23 cases) and forgery (15). There were twelve cases of foreigners being raped in 2015 nationwide, of which three (25%) were in Delhi.
 
Rape cases in Delhi increased by 284% in five years
 
The number of rape cases, in general, registered in Delhi rose 284% from 572 cases in 2011 to 2,199 in 2015.
 
Delhi reported the highest rate of rapes in 2015–23.7 per 100,000 population–followed by Chhattisgarh (12.2) and Madhya Pradesh (11.9), IndiaSpend reported in September 2016.
 
It is not clear if rapes have increased or more women are reporting rape; it could be either reason or both. The rise in rapes reported can be correlated to the change in rape law–which was made more stringent, possibly leading to higher reporting–after the 2012 gangrape of a physiotherapy student, now widely known as Nirbhaya, which led to protests and outrage.
 
Rapes in Delhi tripled and the reform process promised after the 2012 Nirbhaya case had failed, IndiaSpend reported in August 2016.
 

 
In its India travel advisory for citizens, the UK government classified Delhi as potentially unsafe for women. Some of the advisories include:
 

• British women have been the victims of sexual assault in Goa, Delhi, Bangalore and Rajasthan and women travellers often receive unwanted attention in the form of verbal and physical harassment by individuals or groups of men.
• Women travellers should exercise caution when travelling in India even if travelling in a group.
• Do not leave your luggage unattended on trains at all. There has been an increase in handbag snatching in Delhi.

(Saha is an MA Gender and Development student at Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.)

Courtesy: India Spend
 

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एक ने रोहित वेमुला जैसे होनहार छात्र को खोया तो दूसरे ने अखलाक अहमद के नाम पर दो बेटों और एक बेटी को यतीम होते देखा।

एक की दबंगो के हाथो चमड़ी उधेड़ी गई तो दूसरे ने अपनी जिंदगी के कई साल सलाखो के पीछे बिता दिये। प्रताड़ना और यातनाओं के ऐसे सैकड़ो उदाहरण है जिसे एक ब्लॉग मे नही लिखा जा सकता।

​​​​​​​बहरहाल इस प्रताड़ना और अत्याचार ने दलित भाईयों के अंदर एक जबरदस्त बदलाव की बयार लिखी। आज पूरे हिंदुस्तान मे दलित समुदाय सोशल मीडिया से लेकर सड़क तक जबरदस्त तरीके से एक्टिव है। दलित समाज हिंदुस्तान मे अपने ऊपर हो रहे अत्याचार का सबसे तीर्व विरोध करने वाले समाज के रूप मे हमारे सामने उभर कर आया है।

​​​​​​​रोहित वेमुला से लेकर गुजरात के ऊना में दलितों की पिटाई कांड तक दलित एकता की ताकत हम सब के सामने है।

दूसरी तरफ मुस्लिम समाज की बात की जाये तो इतना प्रताड़ित होने बावजूद भी ये समुदाय आज भी खुद पर हो रहे अत्याचार के खिलाफ आपसी मनमुटाव भुलाकर एकजुटता दिखाने मे कामयाब नही हो पा रहा है। आज भी ये खुद पर हो रहे अत्याचार के खिलाफ आवाज़ उठाने के लिये दूसरो पर निर्भर नजर आता है।

चंद गिनती के लोगो को छोड़कर आज पूरा मुस्लिम समुदाय चुप है। वो अपने ऊपर हो रहे अत्याचार के दर्द को महसूस तो कर रहा है लेकिन उसके खिलाफ एकजुट होकर उठ खड़े होने की हिम्मत आज भी नही जुटा पाया है।
सोशल मीडिया पर भी इस समाज की अच्छी खासी तादाद होने के बावजूद वो धार दिखाई नही देती जो दिखाई देनी चाहिये। मुसलमान खुद के खिलाफ हो रहे अत्याचार को आज भी सिर्फ महसूस करके रह जाता है, उसे शब्दो मे पिरोकर दूसरो के सामने रखने की कला मे आज भी हम बहुत पीछे है।

हमे इन सबसे उबरना होगा। खुद के अंदर विरोध करने की ताकत पैदा करनी होगी। अपनी आवाज़ को सरकारो तक पहुंचाने का हुनर हमे सीखना होगा। सोशल मीडिया का सही इस्तेमाल हमे सीखना होगा।
हमे अपनी लड़ाई खुद लड़ने के लिये एक होना होगा। आत्मनिर्भर होना होगा। हमे अपने बच्चों को पढ़ाना होगा, अपने हक के लिये उन्हें सिस्टम और सियासत का हिस्सा बनाना होगा और सबसे अहम हमे सियासी मंच पर एक साथ आना होगा।

तब जाकर हम अपने हक और अपने अधिकारो की हिफाज़त कर पायेंगे, वर्ना जो सूरते हाल है उसे बदलना इतना आसान नही है।

(Views expressed here are the author’s own. Sabrangindia may not necessarily endorse these views. Courtsey: Janta Ka Reporter)

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More crime was reported in 2015 across India than in any year since 2005, when the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) started collating crime data from states.
 
The crime rate—crimes reported per 100,000 population—increased to 581 in 2014 and 582 in 2015 from 456 in 2005, new NCRB data show. It was around 570 in 2009 and 2010.
 
The same crime rate in 2014 and 2015 hid many increases and decreases in crimes reported.

 
In 2015 human trafficking increased 42%, enmity between different groups 26%, road rage 10%, forgery 23%, theft 6%.
 
Among crimes that reported a decrease were offences against the state, 17%, crimes against women 5%, dowry deaths 10% (still, 7,634 women died in 2015), husbands “showing cruelty towards wives” 8% and robbery 5%.
 

 
While rapes, murders and dacoities reduced, this did not appear to be for want of trying: Attempts to rape, attempt to murder and “making preparation and assembly for committing dacoity”, as the NCRB puts it, increased.
 

 
Uttar Pradesh records most crimes; Kerala has highest crime rate
 
Poll-bound Uttar Pradesh recorded 2.8 million crimes for a population of 200 million, more than any other state; the crime rate was India’s second highest: 1,293 per 100,000 population.
 
Kerala was second in crimes recorded–possibly an outcome of better reporting and registering—650,000; Kerala’s crime rate, 1,838 crimes per 100,000 population, three times the national average of 582 crimes per 100,000 people.
 
Tamil Nadu was third in crimes recorded, Chhattisgarh has India’s third-highest crime rate.
 

 
Bihar and Jharkhand reported a lower crime rate than other large states—possibly a consequence of low reporting and registration of crime—although they topped in riot cases.
 
Delhi reported the highest rate of rapes–23.7 per 100,000 population— followed by Chhattisgarh (12.2) and Madhya Pradesh (11.9). About 34,000 rapes were registered nationwide, with a rate of 5.7 rapes per 100,000 population.
 
Uttar Pradesh is the only state that reported rapes in police custody, 91.

 
(Waghmare is an analyst with IndiaSpend.)
 
Article was first published on India Spend

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