Crimes against senior citizens dip to 27,886 in 2023; Maharashtra, MP, TN report high numbers: NCRB
New Delhi (PTI): India registered 27,886 cases of crimes against senior citizens in 2023, a marginal dip from 28,545 in 2022, with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu among the states reporting the highest numbers, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said in its annual report.
Crime head-wise, the highest number of cases (7,608 or 27.3 per cent) was registered under "simple hurt", followed by theft (4,130, 14.8 per cent) and "FCF" (forgery, cheating and fraud) (3,473, 12.5 per cent) in 2023, according to the NCRB's data.
Madhya Pradesh accounted for 5,738 cases, Maharashtra 5,115, Tamil Nadu 2,104 and Karnataka 1,840. Among the Union territories, Delhi topped with 1,361 cases and the highest crime rate of 118.6 per one-lakh elderly population.
The report also logged 1,914 murders, 104 rapes and 721 cases of attempted murder targeting senior citizens in 2023.
Of the 47,630 cases under investigation in 2023, 26,439 were disposed of, but 21,168 remained pending, resulting in a pendency rate of 44.4 per cent.
The overall charge-sheeting rate stood at 76.3 per cent, with high rates for serious offences like murder (94.8 per cent) and culpable homicide (97.4 per cent) but significantly lower for property-related crimes such as theft (33.4 per cent) and fraud (44.3 per cent).
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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