‘Conviction rate stays low’
Srinagar: The Government of India informed that Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 3,716 cases of crimes against women in 2022, compared to 3,937 in 2021 and 3,405 in 2020.
Replying to a question in Parliament, Minister of State (MoS) Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, as per the news agency Kashmir News Observer, said that the 2022 figures show a rise in sexual violence, domestic abuse, and other crimes against women, raising concerns about women’s safety in the region.
According to the data, J&K recorded 3,716 cases of crimes against women in 2022, compared to 3,937 in 2021 and 3,405 in 2020. “While there was a slight drop in the total number of cases from 2021, the conviction rate remains alarmingly low.”
In 2022, only 68 cases led to convictions, while 922 cases ended in acquittals.
Meanwhile, the number of persons arrested under crimes against women stood at 6,309, but only 155 were convicted, it reads.
Ladakh, on the other hand, reported just 15 cases of crime against women in 2022, with one conviction and three acquittals. Although the numbers in Ladakh remain low compared to J&K, experts argue that many incidents in the sparsely populated region go unreported due to social stigma and lack of awareness.
One of the most pressing concerns in J&K is cruelty by husbands or their relatives, which falls under Section 498A of the IPC. Such cases have seen a steady rise, with victims often struggling to get justice due to societal pressures and lengthy legal procedures.
Despite a high number of arrests, the conviction rate for crimes against women remains low in J&K and Ladakh. Out of the 3,716 cases registered in J&K in 2022, only 68 resulted in convictions, while 922 cases ended in acquittals.
Similarly, in Ladakh, where only 15 cases were reported, the conviction rate remains negligible—(KNO)
