Latest NCRB report leaves out data on lynchings, khap and religious killings despite data revamp

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released its data over a year later than it was supposed to be out, with various data not part of the report. Officials said data collected under the new sub-heads of death due to mob lynching, murder by influential people, murder ordered by khap panchayats and religious reasons inspiring murders have not been published, even though NCRB director had revised the proforma, resulting in partial delay of the agency’s report for 2017.

Except for additions in the category of cyber-crimes and offences against the state, this new report resembles the pattern of 2016 edition. “It is shocking that some of the headers we decided have not been published. The data was ready and fully assembled and interpreted. The top brass either has something to do with why it has not been published or knows why,” an official party to the data collection process said to The Indian Express.

Sources said the agency had begun an enormous data revamp drive under ex NCRB Director Ish Kumar. It was under him that the new sub-heads of mob lynching and murder for religious reasons among others were added.

The decision on the collection of data on lynching incidents was taken to combat the increase in lynching incidents across the country through 2015-16. The idea, officials said, was that such data gathering would help the administration articulate its policies better in tackling these crimes. Lynchings happen for a variety of reasons which include doubt of theft, child lifting, cattle smuggling or communal reasons, officials said.

According to the latest NCRB report, there has been a 30% rise in incidents of offences against the state as compared to 2016. This category includes offences such as sedition, waging war against the country and damage to public property among others. The data show that against 6,986 offences in 2016, there were 9,013 such offences in 2017. Jammu and Kashmir recorded just one case of sedition while Chhattisgarh and all North-East states, barring Assam (13), recorded zero incident.