Madhya Pradesh is grappling with a disturbing increase in sexual violence, with official data revealing a 19% rise in rape cases in 2024 compared to 2020. According to the state’s Home Department, 7,294 rape cases were registered in 2024, equating to an average of 20 cases daily, up from 6,134 cases in 2020. This sharp escalation has sparked widespread concern and drawn attention to systemic challenges in addressing crimes against women in the state.
The data, presented in the Madhya Pradesh State Assembly in response to a query by Congress MLA Pankaj Upadhyay, highlights a particularly alarming trend in tribal areas. Jhabua district reported the highest surge, with a 158% increase in rape cases, followed by Indore city (103%), rural Indore (69%), Bhopal city (59%), and Ratlam (46%). However, some districts, such as Jabalpur and Balaghat, saw declines of 15% and 33%, respectively. The figures also reveal disparities across social groups, with rape cases involving Scheduled Tribes (ST) rising by 26%, Other Backward Classes (OBC) by 20%, Scheduled Castes (SC) by 10%, and General category women by 24% over the past five years.
Compounding the issue is the low conviction rate, which remains a significant hurdle in delivering justice. Over the past five years, only 23% of cases involving SC women and 22% involving ST women resulted in convictions, with acquittal rates as high as 77% and 78%, respectively. For OBC and General category cases, conviction rates stood at 21% and 18%, respectively, underscoring the challenges in securing judicial outcomes.
Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Kailash Makwana addressed the crisis during a recent review meeting in Ujjain, emphasising that policing alone cannot curb the rising tide of sexual violence. He pointed to societal factors, including the widespread availability of pornography, internet access, and alcohol, as contributors to the moral degradation driving these incidents. “The way pornography is being served on the internet, it is distorting the minds of children,” Makwana stated, adding that mobile phones and easy access to obscene content are significant factors. “There are many reasons behind the increasing incidents of rape… It is not possible for police alone to deal with it,” he said, calling for broader societal and institutional efforts to address the issue.
The DGP’s remarks have sparked debate, with critics arguing that attributing the rise to external factors like pornography risks deflecting responsibility from systemic issues such as inadequate policing, victim-blaming, and judicial delays. Opposition leaders have criticised the state government for allegedly underreporting the severity of the crisis, with Congress MLA Upadhyay alleging discrepancies in official figures. He noted that while the Women’s Safety Branch reported 5,374 rape cases in 2023-24, the actual number stood at 7,202, with 3,831 cases involving SC and ST women misreported as 883.
The surge in sexual violence has reignited calls for comprehensive reforms, including stricter enforcement, faster judicial processes, and societal campaigns to combat gender-based violence. Activists and opposition leaders are urging the government to prioritise women’s safety and address the root causes of the crisis, particularly in vulnerable tribal and rural areas.
