Haryana recorded the highest rate of crime against children among states in 2024, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)’s Crime in India 2024 report.
The state recorded 7,547 crimes against children in 2024, marking a 17.9 per cent increase from 2023, when 6,401 such incidents were reported.
Based on the child population as per the 2011 Census, the crime rate against children in Haryana stood at 82.8 cases per lakh population in 2024 — the highest among all states. Madhya Pradesh recorded the second-highest rate at 76.2 cases per lakh population.
However, when Union Territories are also taken into account, Delhi, with 138.4 cases per lakh population, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with 122.9 cases per lakh population, recorded higher crime rates against children than Haryana.
In 2024, Haryana reported 54 cases of murder of children, including six cases involving rape and murder. There were 2,725 cases of kidnapping and abduction of children involving 2,805 victims, including 530 missing children.
The state also recorded eight cases of infanticide, 39 cases of abandonment, and 12 cases of foeticide. Additionally, 28 cases of child marriage were reported.
There were 241 cases registered under Section 366 of the IPC related to kidnapping, abducting, or inducing girls to compel them into marriage.
POCSO Act cases in Haryana
A total of 2,116 cases were registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, involving 2,138 victims.
Under Section 4 (punishment for penetrative sexual assault) and Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault), 1,557 cases were registered involving 1,568 victims. These included 1,487 girl victims and 81 boy victims.
Similarly, under Sections 8 (punishment for sexual assault) and 10 (punishment for aggravated sexual assault) of the POCSO Act, there were 455 girl victims and eight boy victims in molestation cases. In cases of sexual harassment under the Act, there were 96 girl victims and one boy victim.
False cases
According to the NCRB report, the Haryana Police disposed of 7,368 cases of crimes against children in 2024. Of these, 3,967 cases were declared false, accounting for 53.8 per cent of the disposed cases. Chargesheets were filed in 2,726 cases, taking the chargesheeting rate to 37 per cent.
Conviction rate in crimes against children
In 2024, court trials were completed in 2,049 cases related to crimes against children in Haryana. Of these, 1,450 cases resulted in acquittals, while 10 cases ended in discharge. Convictions were secured in 589 cases, taking the conviction rate to 28.7 per cent.
