Jharkhand tops in murder rate in 2024: NCRB report

Ranchi: Jharkhand emerged as the state with the highest murder rate in the country in 2024, with 3.7 cases per one lakh population, according to National Crime Records Bureau data released on Wednesday evening.The NCRB said Jharkhand recorded 1,472 murder cases that resulted in 1,484 deaths during the year. The crime rate was calculated on the basis of incidents per one lakh population, with the state’s projected mid-year population for 2024 estimated at 401 lakh.Chhattisgarh followed with the second-highest murder rate at 3.3, while the national average stood at 1.9.In absolute numbers, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of murders at 3,218, but its murder rate was lower at 1.3 because of its much larger population.The NCRB data also showed that gain was the leading motive behind murders in Jharkhand, accounting for 720 incidents, the highest in the country under that category. Personal vendetta was cited in 294 cases, while disputes led to 225 murders.Jharkhand also ranked fourth in the country in the rate of procurement of girls, with a figure of 2.2. A total of 308 girls were procured in the state in 2024. Haryana topped the list with a rate of 8.1, followed by Tripura at 3.3 and Assam at 2.7. The national average was 0.4.Even as the murder rate remained a matter of concern, the state recorded a sharp decline in overall cognizable crime under the IPC and BNS. The number fell to 47,250 in 2024 from 56,187 in 2023. In 2022, the figure stood at 48,726.Cybercrime, however, continued to rise. Reported cases increased from 967 in 2022 to 1,079 in 2023 and further to 1,423 in 2024. Despite the increase, Jharkhand’s cybercrime rate of 3.5 remained below the national average of 7.3.The state also reported a significant drop in witch-hunting cases. Jharkhand registered five such cases in 2024, down from 22 in 2023, when it had recorded the highest number of murders linked to witch-hunting in the country.In 2024, it ranked fourth after Madhya Pradesh with 17 cases, Chhattisgarh with 10 and Odisha with seven.Additional director general, Criminal Investigation Department, Manoj Kaushik said the police were intensifying efforts to improve public safety. “We are making all out efforts for safety and security of citizens with focus on women and children. Preventing serious nature of crime including murders is also our priority,” he said.