Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: Goa has emerged with one of the highest rates of deaths caused by negligent driving among India’s smaller states, according to the 2023 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.
The state registered 156 cases of negligent road accidents, leading to 185 fatalities last year — translating into a rate of 9.9 deaths per lakh population. Of these, 33 were hit-and-run incidents that killed 42 people, while 123 other accidents claimed 143 lives. These figures exclude accidental deaths from non-traffic causes.
The NCRB data further highlights that Goa recorded the highest rate of crimes affecting the human body among small states, with 802 incidents impacting 957 victims. The rate stood at 50.9 cases per lakh population, well above Sikkim (29.5), Nagaland (8.9), Mizoram (25.8), Meghalaya (37.7) and Manipur (28.2). Even Arunachal Pradesh (50.2) and Tripura (48.5) trailed slightly behind. Larger states such as Gujarat fared better, with a rate of 28.0 despite higher population and tourist inflows.
Crimes against women continued to be a concern in Goa. In 2023, the state logged 96 incidents of assault with intent to outrage modesty, involving 107 victims (12.3 per lakh). This included 37 IPC Section 354 cases (47 victims) and 34 sexual harassment incidents, five of which were workplace-related. Additionally, 97 rape cases were registered, affecting 98 victims — a rate of 12.4 per lakh. Three incidents of trafficking-related exploitation were also reported, with nine victims.
Kidnapping and abduction accounted for 77 cases involving 85 victims (4.9 per lakh). Significantly, 49 cases of missing children were recorded as abductions, bringing the rate to 12.8 per lakh population.
Under public tranquillity offences, Goa reported 12 cases linked to enmity or rivalry, with 16 victims, at a rate of 0.8 per lakh.
Overall, the state’s crime profile in 2023 shows a concerning mix of high negligent road deaths, persistent crimes against women, and the highest rate of crimes against the human body among small states, underscoring the pressure on law enforcement and public safety.
