Raipur, July 15: The third day of the monsoon session of the Chhattisgarh Assembly witnessed a heated debate during the question hour. Congress MLA Sangeeta Sinha expressed serious concerns over the rising crimes against women and children in the state.
Sinha requested information from the government regarding cases of rape, molestation, assault, and murder reported at police stations between January 2023 and June 2026.
In response, Home Minister Vijay Sharma claimed that there has been a decrease in such cases compared to the previous government. He reported that during the last government’s tenure of two and a half years, 18,323 cases were registered, whereas the current government recorded approximately 16,000 cases in the same timeframe.
Sinha intervened and presented district-wise and year-on-year statistics to refute the minister’s claims. She noted that molestation cases were recorded as 3,096 in 2024, 3,070 in 2025, and 1,550 in the first five months of 2026.
Addressing the issue of child abduction, which she labeled as very serious, she pointed to a concerning increase. There were 2,300 cases in 2023, 2,961 in 2024, 3,040 in 2025, and 1,746 cases in the first five months of 2026. She warned that by the end of the year, this number could exceed 3,500.
The state’s Home Minister informed the assembly that to ensure women’s safety, 13 special police stations for women are operational across the state. Special juvenile police units have been established in every district, 124 police stations have been made child-friendly, and awareness campaigns about good touch and bad touch are being conducted in schools and colleges. The government is also relying on the ‘Abhivyakti’ app, Dial-112, and increased patrolling.
He acknowledged that despite these measures, there has been no significant decrease in sexual offenses.
During the session, alarming statistics regarding deaths in custody were also revealed. The Home Minister reported that between 2021 and June 25, 2026, there were 375 deaths in prisons. Investigations by magistrates were ordered in 373 cases, of which 311 reports have been received, while 62 are still pending.
There has also been a surge in abduction cases between July 2025 and June 2026, with Raipur witnessing the highest increase. The number rose from 524 to 634. Mixed trends were observed in major districts regarding murder and robbery cases.
Leave a Comment