Several social media users claimed that under the Mamata Banerjee-led government, West Bengal has witnessed the highest number of rapes in the country. On closely examining the 2018 data of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), an agency under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, BOOM found the claim to be false.
The 2018 data shows West Bengal having 1,069 incidents of victims of rape, lesser than that of Madhya Pradesh with the highest cases of rape in the country. West Bengal's crime rate (crimes per lakh of population) pertaining to rape, is also much lower at 2.3, while Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Chandigarh registering the highest crime rates linked to rape at 16.1.
| Original (Bangla) | Translation (English) |
বাংলায় নেই মা বোনেদের সম্মান ২০১৮ NCRB তথ্য অনুযায়ী দেশের মধ্যে পশ্চিমবঙ্গে সব থেকে বেশি ধর্ষণের ঘটনা ঘটে । নারী সুরক্ষায় মমতা ডাহা ফেল | Women are not respected in Bengal. According to the 2018 NCRB data, the most number of rapes happens in West Bengal.
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The graphic carrying this claim can be seen below.
The posts that use it can be seen below
Also Read: Rape Laws in India: All You Need To Know
Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of rapes (reported under section 376 of the Indian Penal Code), with 5,433 incidents and 5,450 victims. West Bengal had 1,069 incidents and victims of rape in 2018. Madhya Pradesh's crime rate was 13.8, according to 2018 data.
Here are a few states and union territories with the incidents and victims of rape, and the adjoining rate as given by NCRB in its 2018 data.
Overall, West Bengal accounted for 30,394 incidents of crimes against women under various IPC and statutory heads, affecting 30,921 victims having 8% of all crimes in India and a rate of 64.4. Uttar Pradesh had 62,451 incidents, 59,445 victims and a rate of 55.7. Maharashtra had 35,497 incidents, 36,301 victims and a rate of 60.9.
There were several other claims as well that social media users made, accusing the Mamata Banerjee led Trinamool Congress-government in West Bengal of poor governance when it came to women. These claims were made on Twitter about rising incidents of acid attacks against women, attempt to rape and its conviction rate of crimes against women, again, according to NCRB 2018.
Also Read: Factchecking Yogi Adityanath's Claims On Crimes Against Women In UP
BOOM found these claims to be true. West Bengal has a conviction rate of 5.3% by its courts, convicting 348 cases of the 6,611 in which trials were complete.
West Bengal also has the highest number of incidents of attempt to rape at 944, victims at 958 and the second highest rate at 2. On this counts, Assam was ahead of West Bengal with a crime rate of 3.7.
West Bengal also had 36 of India's 131 recorded incidents of acid attacks against women and 38 of India's 136 victims, just above Uttar Pradesh's 32 incidents and victims.
NCRB 2019 does not have West Bengal's latest data, since the state did not submit its records in time.
Read the NCRB's 2018 report here.