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The National Crime Records Bureau recorded 29,670 rapes in 2023, and in a staggering 97.5 per cent of cases, the perpetrator was known to the victim
Disputes were the leading cause for murder, claiming more than 9,200 lives.
In a span of one hour, somewhere in India, three people are murdered. In the same hour, three women or girls are raped, most often by someone they know. And in that same hour, nearly 10 people discover they have been cheated, threatened, or harassed online.
These are not isolated tragedies but part of a relentless cycle of crime captured in the Crime in India 2023 report, released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) after a long delay. The report, considered the most comprehensive snapshot of India’s law-and-order situation, does more than tally cases. It paints a sobering portrait of a society where age-old disputes still turn deadly, sexual violence remains disturbingly common, and cybercrime is rewriting the meaning of safety in the digital age.
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The bureau stresses that better reporting and easier access to FIRs have also led to higher case registration. Yet, the persistence of violent crime and the rapid rise of digital offences underscore the scale of India’s law-and-order challenge.
According to the report, family feud that spiralled into a killing, a survivor of sexual assault betrayed by trust, a child stolen from her home, or an elderly couple defrauded with a single phone call revealed the story of crime in India.
Murders Decline Marginally, But Disputes Still Kill
India registered 27,721 murders in 2023, a slight dip of 2.8 per cent from the year before. The drop offers little comfort when seen against the backdrop of motives. Disputes were the leading cause, claiming more than 9,200 lives. From arguments over land and property to simmering family conflicts, the killings highlight how everyday quarrels often escalate into irreversible violence. Another 3,458 murders were driven by personal enmity, while nearly 1,900 killings took place for gain—proof that greed remains as lethal as anger.
The decline in numbers, modest as it is, has not altered the core truth: homicide in India is less about organised syndicates and more about ordinary disagreements that end in bloodshed.
Sexual Crime: Known person committed crime
If murders eased slightly, sexual crimes showed no such respite. The NCRB recorded 29,670 rapes in 2023, and in a staggering 97.5 per cent of cases, the perpetrator was known to the victim. Behind these numbers are stories of broken trust—assaults by relatives, neighbours, acquaintances, or supposed friends.
In total, crimes against women stood at 4,48,211 cases. More than 1.33 lakh women reported cruelty by husbands or relatives, nearly 89,000 were kidnapped or abducted, and over 83,000 were assaulted with the intent to outrage their modesty. For many women, danger came not from strangers lurking in shadows but from those closest to them.
Children too bore the weight of this violence. Nearly 68,000 cases were filed under the POCSO Act, capturing the scale of sexual abuse against minors. Each figure is a reminder that the home and community, meant to provide safety, are often the very places where violations occur.
Cyber Crime: The New Frontier of Fear
The digital world has become another battlefield. Cybercrime cases leapt to 86,420 in 2023, up 31.2 per cent from the year before, making it the fastest-growing category of crime in India. Nearly seven in ten cases were linked to fraud—scams that wiped out life savings with a click. Thousands of others involved online sexual exploitation and extortion.
For victims, the violation is not just financial but deeply personal: intimate photos misused, relentless blackmail through messages, or fake job offers turning into traps. For police, the challenge is immense—criminals move faster online than laws or investigations can catch up.
Children at Greater Risk
Children remain among the most vulnerable. In 2023, 1,77,335 crimes against children were registered, a rise of 9.2 per cent. Almost 80,000 children were kidnapped or abducted, and 67,694 cases involved sexual assault under POCSO. These are not just numbers on paper but reflect children pulled into trafficking, exploitation, or violence before they even have a chance to grow up.
Missing Persons Rise
The report also chronicles another haunting statistic: 4,84,584 people went missing in 2023, nearly 10 per cent more than the year before. Among them were over 91,000 children. While many were eventually traced—more than 4.6 lakh overall—the uncertainty, fear and anguish experienced by families in those intervening days cannot be measured in numbers. For every missing report logged, there is a parent waiting by the door, a child scanning crowds for a familiar face.
About the Author
With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar…Read More
With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar… Read More
September 30, 2025, 11:07 IST
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