Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 2
Nagaland recorded the lowest rate of cognisable crimes among Indian states in 2023, yet the number of cases showed a steady rise for the second consecutive year, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
As per ‘Crime in India 2023,’ released on September 29, a total of 1899 cognisable crimes under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL) were registered in Nagaland during 2023. This included 1,050 IPC cases and 849 SLL cases.
The 2023 figure marked a 19.3% increase from 2022, when 1592 cases were recorded. In 2021, the total stood at 1478, rising by about 7.7% in 2022.
Overall, between 2021 and 2023, cases increased by approximately 28.5%.
Earlier trends, however, showed higher totals, with 1775 cases registered in 2018 and 1661 in 2019. In 2020, Nagaland reported 1511 cases under IPC and SLL combined.
In 2023, among SLL cases, 738 were related to liquor and narcotic drugs, making up the bulk of offences, while under IPC, offences against property (655 cases) were the most frequent.
With the State’s mid-year projected population in 2023 at around 22.4 lakh, Nagaland’s rate of cognisable crimes (IPC+SLL) stood at 84.9 per lakh population, the second lowest in the country. The Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu recorded the lowest rate at 66.9.
Nationally, cognisable crime registrations rose by 7.15%, from 58,24,946 in 2022 to 62,41,569 in 2023, with a crime rate of 448.3 per lakh population.
Nagaland’s ‘chargesheeting rate’ in 2023 was 67.6%, lower than the national average of 80.1%.
