Srinagar, May 16 (JKNS): The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report has revealed that minor girls accounted for the overwhelming majority of kidnapping and abduction victims in Jammu and Kashmir during 2024, even as the Union Territory witnessed a sharp decline in overall cases compared to previous years.
According to NCRB report tilted “Crime in India 2024” accessed by news agency JKNS, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 530 kidnapping and abduction cases in 2024, compared to 1,004 cases in 2023 and 1,046 cases in 2022, reflecting a major decrease in the number of registered incidents.
However, despite the fall in cases, the victim profile remained alarming, with female minors emerging as the most vulnerable group.
The report stated that a total of 541 victims were involved in kidnapping and abduction cases across Jammu and Kashmir during 2024. Out of these, 424 were children, including 341 minor girls and 83 boys, while 117 victims were adults comprising 110 women and seven men.
Among minors, the highest number of victims belonged to the 16–18 age group, where 212 children were reported kidnapped or abducted, including 185 girls and 27 boys. Another 196 children in the 12–16 age group became victims, including 152 girls and 44 boys.
Children below the age of 12 accounted for comparatively fewer cases. No kidnapping incidents were reported in the below-six age category, while 16 children aged between six and 12 years were reported as victims during the year.
Among adult victims, the 18–30 age group accounted for the highest number of cases, with 81 victims including 74 women and seven men. Another 35 victims belonged to the age group of 60 years and above.
According to the NCRB report, the kidnapping and abduction crime rate in Jammu and Kashmir stood at 3.9 percent during 2024, while the charge-sheeting rate remained at 25.4 percent.
The data further showed that Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered 676 kidnapping victims alive during 2024, including victims from previous years. These included 586 females and 90 males, taking the overall recovery rate to 58.7 percent.
The NCRB figures come amid growing nationwide concern over crimes involving missing children, trafficking, online exploitation, and abduction of minors, particularly adolescent girls. National crime data indicate that kidnapping and abduction continue to account for one of the largest categories of crimes against children in India.
Across the country, more than 1.87 lakh cases of crimes against children were registered during 2024, with kidnapping and abduction contributing nearly 40 percent of the total cases reported nationwide.
The latest figures have highlighted that although Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a decline in overall kidnapping cases, the continued high number of female minor victims remains a serious concern, particularly in the vulnerable teenage age groups. (JKNS)
