Raipur, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) The third day of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly's monsoon session witnessed a heated exchange during Question Hour as Congress MLA Sangeeta Sinha raised serious concerns over rising crimes against women and children in the state.
Sinha asked the government to provide details of rape, molestation, assault, and murder cases registered at police stations between January 2023 and June 2026. In his reply, Home Minister Vijay Sharma claimed that there has been a decline in such cases compared to the previous government.
He stated that 18,323 cases were reported during the previous regime's two-and-a-half-year tenure, while the current government has recorded approximately 16,000 cases in the same period.
However, the Congress MLA intervened and presented district-wise and year-wise data to counter the minister's claim. She pointed out that molestation cases stood at 3,096 in 2024, 3,070 in 2025, and 1,550 in the first five months of 2026.
On the issue of child abduction, which she described as a "very serious matter," she highlighted a worrying upward trend: 2,300 cases in 2023, 2,961 in 2024, 3,040 in 2025, and 1,746 cases in just the first five months of 2026. She warned that the figure is likely to cross 3,500 by the end of the year.
The state Home Minister informed the House that, to ensure women's safety, 13 women-exclusive police stations are operational across the state. Special Juvenile Police Units (SJPU) have been set up in every district, 124 police stations have been made child-friendly, and "Good Touch-Bad Touch" awareness campaigns 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 not been a visible decline in sexual offences.
The session also saw alarming data on custodial deaths. The Home Minister informed the House that 375 deaths occurred in jails between 2021 and June 25, 2026. Magisterial inquiries were ordered in 373 cases, out of which 311 reports have been received, while 62 are still pending.
A sharp rise in kidnapping cases was also observed between July 2025 and June 2026, with Raipur recording the largest increase, from 524 to 634 cases. Mixed trends were observed in murder and robbery cases across major districts.
Source: IANS
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