Credible and reliable data is the backbone of good governance. It enables policymakers to understand trends, identify critical issues and frame policies accordingly. Law enforcement agencies all over the world have been using data-driven performance management systems. By studying crime statistics and patterns, police leaderships allocate their usually sparse human and technical resources for improving public safety.

Lately, the fudging and distorting of data by many reputed institutions has been flagged in India, though the government has repeatedly denied these claims. The Bihar voters lists and the ‘Ladki Bahin Yojna’ of Maharashtra are recent examples. While lakhs of voters are alleged to be missing in Bihar, an equally high number have mysteriously registered themselves as beneficiaries of the ‘Ladki Bahin Yojna’.

Data distortion thus is not confined to institutions and their representatives. Common citizens too have taken to it brazenly and the government of Maharashtra is now re-verifying the beneficiaries and deleting the ones who have falsified their personal records.

In the din about fudging, we have not noticed that some crucial data and statistics have not been published and shared by crucial institutions.

After the recent dowry deaths of two young ladies in Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Pune in Maharashtra, I looked for statistics about the rate of chargesheet of such cases by the police and their convictions in courts. To my surprise, the data uploaded by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on their website displays information only up to the year 2022, vide its premium publication ‘Crime in India’.

One can understand that after 2024, the compilation of crime data could be delayed as the new ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita’, ‘Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’ and ‘Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam’ laws came into effect on July 1, 2024. This requires different forms to be filled with appropriate modifications in the software at the district, state and national levels. But where is the ‘Crime in India 2023’?

For the information of readers, data related to crime is collected by police stations and sent to district headquarters from where, after a review, it is mailed to state police headquarters. In most states, Crime Investigation Departments (CID) collect and collate this information.

After compiling the data for the whole state, it is shared with the National Crime Records Bureau, which after due scrutiny and seeking necessary clarifications from the states, releases ‘Crime in India’, a report that is the most comprehensive crime-statistical chronicle of the country. It is the key document discussed in police and judicial academies, law schools, departments of criminology and departments of forensics in various colleges and universities. Researchers in India and abroad rely on it to validate their hypotheses and conduct studies on various kinds of crimes.

Most of all, state police departments study ‘Crime in India’ to analyse trends in crime, rates of detection, their charge-sheets and convictions. Many states come to adverse notice for the slow rate of sending cases to courts, while others may reflect an inability to secure conviction of criminals.

Appropriate measures are expected to be taken to plug these holes. Information about the number of persons arrested and released too are studied from various angles like respect for the rights of citizens and unwarranted detentions by police. Custodial crimes and complaints against police personnel too are tabulated in ‘Crime in India’.

This annual compendium covers many sensitive issues like crimes against senior citizens, which are on a steady rise. Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes tabulated herein give an understanding of caste-related ground realities. Rising economic offences and cybercrimes reflect the latest criminal trends of an internet-wired nation.

‘Crime in India’ also deals with corruption offences. Their pendency and conviction rates show how serious we are in pursuing action against the corrupt.

The recent acquittals in the Mumbai train blast and the Malegaon blast cases have exposed the quality of police investigation and prosecution. ‘Crime in India’ numerically analyses these heinous crimes committed by extremists/insurgents/terrorists. Information about the pendency of such cases with police and court trials, and the arrest of criminals in these cases is of paramount importance for formulating internal security strategies.

The Bureau also collects information about the sensitive subjects of human trafficking, missing persons, offences against children etc. Even offences related to the environment are studied and presented. Based on the information so collected, Union and state police forces decide on their current and future policies.

Police in many countries have used crime data to successfully prevent crime and improve their detection. It is used to strategically deploy police patrols with focus on areas and timings prone to violent crime.

Having worked in the Bureau, I have high regard for the proficiency and sincerity of the staff working there. However, there have been instances of the collected information getting stuck in the ministry. While many of us are able to convince the bureaucrats to give a green signal to the publication of ‘Crime in India’, sometimes insecure public representatives delay it.

Once we were not allowed to release certain data because it covered ‘suicides by farmers’. The printed booklet was held back for the fear that it would embarrass the government. Taking this up with the home secretary, who then convinced the minister that the released data would not shake the government, ultimately led the report to see the light of the day.

That ‘Crime in India 2023’ has still not been published is a matter of serious concern not only for police professionals but for the country as a whole. A publication that should have been shared by the Bureau during the first quarter of 2024 but has not been, shows that either the ministry is not allowing it to come out or there is a powerful invisible hand at work. It does not bode well for the police and public safety.

Meeran Chadha Borwankar retired as director general, Bureau of Police Research & Development and the National Crimes Record Bureau.

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