• Thefts form bulk of cases
• Charge-sheeting rate remains below national average
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 12
Crimes against senior citizens in Nagaland have shown a gradual increase over the past three years, with 12 cases recorded in 2023 compared to 11 in 2022 and 8 in 2021, according to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
Although the overall number of reported incidents remains relatively low compared to the national average, the rate of crime against persons aged 60 years and above in Nagaland stood at 11.7, taking the 2011 census as the base for one lakh elderly population.
Head-wise NCRB data for 2023 revealed that the most frequent crimes against senior citizens in Nagaland were thefts under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), accounting for six of the 12 cases. The next was kidnapping and abduction (Sections 363, 364, 364A, 365, 367 & 368 IPC) with three cases. Other cases included attempt to commit murder (Section 307 IPC) – 1; simple hurt (Sections 323 & 324 IPC) – 1; and cheating (Section 420 IPC) – 1 case.
Case disposal and investigation status
As per the report, while the absolute number of cases and the rate of crime were very low in Nagaland, the State lagged behind others in case disposal.
For instance, the charge-sheeting rate of cases in Nagaland stood at 44.4% against the national average of 76.3%, which also had more than double the rate of crime at 26.9.
As of the end of 2023, there were 30 cases in total, including 18 carried over from previous years and 12 new cases registered that year. Of these, the police filed charge sheets in four cases, while five cases were marked as “true but insufficient evidence,” “untraced,” or with “no clue.”
Meanwhile, 11 individuals were arrested for crimes committed against senior citizens during the year. A total of 27 cases were pending trial in court at the end of the reporting period.
National status
At the national level, India reported 27,886 cases of crimes against senior citizens in 2023, slightly lower than 28,545 in 2022, though still significantly higher than 26,110 in 2021. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of cases at 5,738, followed by 5,115 in Maharashtra and 2,376 in Tamil Nadu.
Most of the North-East states had low crime rates against senior citizens, with Assam recording zero cases, followed by two in Sikkim, six each in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, ten each in Meghalaya and Tripura, and twelve in Mizoram.
The Union Territories of Ladakh and Lakshadweep had zero cases for the third consecutive year.
