Nagaland is corruption ‘free,’ official data claims .... but there is a big rider ....When is the party Mr Chingwang; or 'where' is your party ???

"When is the party Mr Chingwang; or 'where' is your party ???" 

“Clarifications on data for Crime in India are pending from Nagaland. Hence, data from Nagaland State may be treated as provisional,” the report says, according to local newspaper 'Morung Express'.  

In March 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asked all states to use the data collated by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for preparing their annual crime control strategy. "The NCRB data should be used by all states for preparing their annual strategy for crime control. It should be used in a multi-dimensional and multi-purpose way in crime control," he said.

The Home Minister also said that the NCRB data should help reduce the crime rate in the country by 20 per cent in next five years "if it is made available to the right people at the right time".

representational image in Morung Express 

Reversing a declining trend from 2018-2021, the overall crimes in Nagaland increased marginally from 1478 in 2021 to 1592 in 2022, indicating a 7.7% surge. The total in 2022 comprised 1008 under IPC and 584 under Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes.

While a single case marred the State’s untainted image on corruption in 2021, it improved its reputation by being only five States or Union Territories in India with nil registration of cases by Anti-Corruption Bureau, Vigilance and Lokayukta under the Prevention of Corruption Act 1988 (PC Act).

"Dispelling popular perception, accountability and transparency seem to rule roost in Nagaland, with official data suggesting ‘zero’ corruption case in the State in 2022," writes Moa Jamir.  

The other States/UTs with zero case under the PC Act1988 & Related Sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) dealing with corrupt practice by public servant were Goa, Tripura, D&N Haveli andDaman & Diu,and Ladakh, highlighted the ‘Crime in India-2022,’ released this week by the National Crime Record Bureau under the Union Ministry oh Home Affairs. 

Across India, a total of 4139 cases have been registered in 2022 by State Anti-Corruption Bureaux (ACBs) as compared to 3745 cases in 2021, showing an increase of 10.5%, the report said.  

Nagaland has outdone previous records without registering even a single case in 2022 either under IPC or SLL crimes, thus, cementing its reputation as a ‘corruption-free’ State, the newspaper says. The report further informed while 9 were arrested in Nagaland in offences under the PC Act 2022, 7 were acquitted and no charge-sheet was filed.  

The NCRB compiles the report annually based on information obtained from States/Union Territories (UTs) Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) / Central Police Organisations (CPOs).

'Extortion & Blackmailing' rates drop in Nagaland, but still highest in India

According to the report, the rate of crime for 'Extortion & Blackmailing’ in Nagaland, at 4.5 per lakh population, was the highest among the States/Union Territories (UTs) in India.  The national average during the same period was just 0.9, and the closest to Nagaland were Arunachal Pradesh at 2.9 and Assam at 1.7.   The crime rate is calculated as 'crime incidence' per one lakh of the population, according to the NCRB.

 Nagaland has been consistently recording the highest rate for the last 8 years. The report projected the mid-year population of Nagaland in 2022 at 22.22 lakh. 

Despite a considerable decrease in cases, Nagaland continues to hold the dubious distinction of having the highest crime rate under ‘Extortion & Blackmailing’ under Sections 384 to 389 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), revealed by the latest 'Crime in India 2022' compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).  

'Morung Express' Link

The rate of the cognisable crimes increased from 67.2 persons per 1 lakh population in 2021 to 71.8 in 2022. The 'Chargesheeting' rate in 2022 was 71.7. 

In terms of actual incidences/cases, Nagaland registered 100 crimes in 2022, the lowest since 2014 when the NCRB began to publish specific data on ‘Extortion & Blackmailing’ under 'Offences against Property.'  The highest during the last 10 years was recorded in 2019 at 201, which decreased to 131 in 2020. It increased marginally to 159 in 2021, before decreasing further in 2022.

Blogger in North East 

Overall, India reported over 4,139 corruption cases last year. As per data, trap cases account for more than half (2,883 cases) of the total cases. This is followed by cases of criminal misconduct (547 cases) and cases involving disproportionate assets (372).

For three years in a row, Rajasthan and Maharashtra remain the states with the most corruption cases in the country, as per the 2022 annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). It shows a rise of 10.5 per cent in overall corruption cases in India.

In Maharashtra, the number of reported corruption cases was 773 last year compared to 749 cases the year before and 664 in 2020. Similarly, Rajasthan reported the second-highest number of cases, with 511 cases last year compared to 501 in 2021 and 363 cases in 2020.  

At the national level, data shows the conviction rate stood at only 39.6 per cent in corruption cases, with more than 992 cases that saw acquittal.

In 110 cases the accused were discharged, and 2,036 cases that have been disposed of by the courts.

More than 11,142 corruption cases are pending investigation. States with the most pending cases are Rajasthan, Odisha, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

A total of 4,993 people were arrested last year under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Of these, 852 were convicted, and departmental action was taken against 445. As many as 1,477 people were acquitted by the courts.

On the crimes front, Delhi was the most unsafe among 19 major cities in the country, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of rapes reported.

There were 33 per cent of crimes against women and the highest crime rate in 2016. Mumbai was third on the list behind Bangalore, with 39,617 cases, but the number declined as compared to 2015 when 42,940 cases were registered.