Karnataka sees 86% increase in crimes against senior citizens from 2020-2022: NCRB data

Bengaluru: Crimes against senior citizens in Karnataka increased by 86 per cent from 2020 to 2022, latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau a few days ago showed.

According to the statistics, the number of such cases increased from 853 in 2020 to 1,583 in 2022. The corresponding figure in 2021 was 1,442. Many of the senior citizens were victims of forgery, cheating and theft, the report said.

An analysis of the NCRB 2022 data shows that among 28 states in India, Karnataka recorded the seventh highest number of crimes against senior citizens. Madhya Pradesh was at the top of the list with 6,187 cases followed by Maharashtra with 5,059 and Tamil Nadu with 2,376.

The rate of such cases in Karnataka stood at 27.3 per lakh population while the rate of chargsheeting in such cases was at 77.8, according to the NCRB data.

Out of the total number of FIRs filed in such cases, the maximum -- 367 -- were registered under simple hurt (under IPC sections of voluntarily causing hurt and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), followed by 313 cases related to forgery, cheating and fraud while 175 cases related to theft, the NCRB data showed.

Crimes against senior citizens in Karnataka also included 91 cases of murder, 48 cases of attempt to murder, 18 cases of grievous hurt, 65 cases of assault on women with intent to outrage their modesty, four cases of kidnapping and abduction and two cases of rape.

The state also registered 61 cases of robbery, 58 cases of criminal trespass and 56 cases of criminal intimidation in which senior citizens were the victims in 2022, the NCRB data stated.

Six cases related to crimes against senior citizens were transferred to another state or agency last year.

It was observed that in 147 FIRs, the cases were "true" , but there was either insufficient or untraceable evidence or no clues to close the files.

Totally 1,396 cases were disposed of by the police, the data showed.