Bengaluru, Dec 6: Karnataka recorded a 46 per cent increase in crimes against children over the last two years, official statistics in the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report released a few days ago show.

Police registered 7988 cases in 2022 in comparison to 5471 in 2020 and 7261 the next year. Many of these cases were under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCS), the report said.

An analysis of the 2022 NCRB data shows that among 28 Indian states, Karnataka recorded the eighth highest number of crimes against children. Maharashtra was first on that list with 20,762 cases followed by Madhya Pradesh (20,415) and Uttar Pradesh (18,682).

The rate of cases related to crimes against children in Karnataka stood at 41.3 per lakh population while chargsheeting in such cases was at 58.5, according to the 2022 NCRB data.

Of the total number of FIRs related to crimes against children in the state in 2022, the highest were under the POCSO Act at 3155, followed by 3,035 cases under kidnapping and abduction, 215 cases under Prohibition of Child Marriage Act and 239 cases related to cyber crimes.

The data of crimes against children in 2022 also included 84 cases of murder, 22 cases of attempt to murder, 13 cases of abetment of suicide of child, two cases of foeticide and one case of infanticide, the data showed.

Karanataka also registered 96 cases related to abandonment, 58 cases of simple hurt, 10 cases of grievous hurt, 77 cases under Juvenile Justice Act and 62 cases under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act.

Last year, 100 cases related to crimes against children were transferred to another state or agency while it was observed that in 179 FIRs, the cases were "true" but there was either insufficient or untraceable evidence or no clue.

Totally, 7,572 such cases were disposed off by police, the data showed.

Further analysis of the NCRB data also showed that 2,317 cases ended as "false" and 529 cases ended as "mistake" of fact or of law or civil dispute.

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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.