Maharashtra ahead of Bihar in crime rate

MUMBAI: Opposition parties criticized the state on Wednesday over the increasing crime rate in the state.

Quoting figures from the state Economic Survey (ES) report, leader of the Opposition in the legislative council, Pandurang Phundkar, claimed that Maharashtra was ahead of Bihar when it came to thefts, robberies, dacoities and crimes against women and children.

Phundkar said that as per CID reports, crime rate in the state rose by 18% in the last five years. "Crimes against women went up by 30% and economic offences by 5% in the corresponding period," he said. "In 2010, crimes against women rose by 8.3% over the last year. Cases of sexual harassment increased by 10%, immoral trafficking by 11%, harassment by in-laws by 8.6%, and rape by 6.9%."

Cyber crime also rose by almost one and a half times since 2008, he said. Sena member Ramdas Kadam raised the issue of increase in cases of infanticide.

Home minister R R Patil will furnish a reply on the discussion on Thursday.