Kerala is country’s most crime-prone state: NCRB

NEW DELHI: These are one set of statistics Kerala will not be proud to own up to: God’s own country — proud of its high count on literacy and health indicators — and not the badlands of north India, is the most crime-prone state, ahead of Uttar Pradesh and even Delhi. The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures note that Kerala is the most affected by crime and Kochi is the most dangerous city.

Figures compiled till 2010 show Kerala has a crime rate of 424.1, more than double the national average of 187.6.

Kochi’s crime rate is even scarier at 1,879.8 compared to most cities, where the figure averages 341.9. NCRB’s figures show that Kochi also saw an exponential rise of 193% in crime in 2010 compared to 2009. Crime rate — number of crimes committed per 1 lakh population — gives a more realistic and comparative picture of law and order than a total of offences registered in a state or city.

Among states with significant population and area, Kerala has left most others far behind, with MP having a rate of 297.2 and Delhi third with 279.8. UP has a crime rate of only 87.5. Kerala also ranks highest on incidents of rioting and arson with a rate of 26 compared to the national average of 6.4.