According to the NCRB data, India saw a slight decline in crimes against senior citizens, dropping from 28,545 cases in 2022 to 27,886 in 2023. However, Chhattisgarh bucked this trend, recording a crime rate of 89.7 per lakh elderly population, based on 1,798 reported cases. With an estimated population of around 3.03 crore, the state is among 28 states and eight Union Territories analyzed in the report, where crime rates are measured per lakh people.
When it comes to murders specifically, Chhattisgarh led the nation with a rate of 3.6, well above the national average of 1.2. This translated to 73 elderly deaths in 72 separate incidents – averaging about six murders every month. Arunachal Pradesh followed with a rate of 3.1 (two murders in two cases), while Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu both recorded 2.7 (156 murders in 155 cases for MP, and 211 in 201 for TN).
Delhi, meanwhile, topped the list for total cases with 1,361 incidents and the highest overall crime rate at 118.6 per lakh seniors. Madhya Pradesh came second at 100.4, followed closely by Chandigarh at 99.9, and Chhattisgarh at 89.7.
The report underscores a worrying upward trajectory in Chhattisgarh's crimes against the elderly: from 1,408 cases in 2021 to 1,632 in 2022, and climbing to 1,798 last year. Law enforcement efforts included the arrest of 2,521 individuals – 2,307 men and 214 women – in connection with these crimes. Of those, 2,457 were charge-sheeted.
On the judicial front, 235 people were convicted in 2023, while 45 were discharged and 392 acquitted. The year saw 1,520 new cases heading to trial, adding to a backlog of 5,032 pending from previous years.
This data highlights the urgent need for stronger protective measures for India's aging population, as vulnerabilities continue to rise in several regions. Authorities in Chhattisgarh have yet to comment on the findings, but experts call for enhanced community support and policing to curb this alarming trend.
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