UP tops tally of murder, kidnapping and abduction cases in 2020: NCRB Data

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh tops the chart among the states for murder, kidnapping and abductions cases reported last year according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data issued on Wednesday.

The data shows that a maximum of 3,779 murder cases, 12,913 kidnapping and abductions cases were lodged in Uttar Pradesh in 2020. Bihar reported 3,150 murder cases followed by Maharashtra (2,163), Madhya Pradesh (2,101) and West Bengal (1,948).

Regarding kidnapping and abductions cases, the data shows that West Bengal comes second after UP with 9,309 cases followed by Maharashtra (8,103), Bihar (7,889) and Madhya Pradesh (7,320), the data showed.

The country reported an average 80 murders daily in 2020, totalling 29,193 fatalities over the year. This was an increase of one per cent over the total 28,915 murders in 2019, with a daily average of 79 killings during the year.

Delhi logged 472 murder cases in 2020, according to the data for the year eclipsed by the COVID-19 outbreak and pandemic-induced lockdowns in the country, including the national capital.

Of the total murder victims in the country, the maximum 38.5 per cent belonged to the 30-45 years age group followed by 35.9 per cent in the 18-30 years category, the NCRB stated.

According to the figures, 16.4 per cent murder victims were in the 45-60 years age category and four per cent older than 60 years, while the rest were minors.

The data also says that cases of kidnapping and abduction went down by over 19 per cent in 2020 as compared to 2019.

There were a total 84,805 lodged cases of kidnapping and abduction in 2020 as against 1,05,036 in 2019, according to the statistics by the NCRB, which functions under the Union home ministry.

Delhi registered 4,062 kidnapping and abduction cases during 2020, it showed. The NCRB stated that there were 88,590 total victims in 84,805 cases of kidnapping and abduction in the country last year. Of these, the majority 56,591 victims were children while the remaining were adults, it added.

The NCRB is tasked with collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code and special and local laws in the country.