Crime Rate in Andhra Pradesh Post 2019
Crime Rate in Andhra Pradesh Post 2019
In 2017, Andhra Pradesh had reported 1,32,336 cognizable criminal cases. In 2018 the number
reduced to 1,26,635 cases. In 2019, the total was further reduced to 1,19,229.
As of 2021, Visakhapatnam city, which is considered to be a relatively safe place for women,
now stands first in terms of crimes against women. Out of a total of 985 cases of violence against
women reported across the State, Vizag city accounted for 98.
According to statistics obtained from police headquarters, 985 sexual offences cases have been
reported from January 1 to August 15 in all the 18 police units across the State. Visakhapatnam
district topped the list with 131 cases (98 in Visakhapatnam city and 33 in rural units) followed
by East Godavari with 118 cases, Guntur district including Guntur city with 106 cases and
Krishna district including Vijayawada city with 100 cases.
The data revealed that 94 cases of violence against women were reported in Anantapur, 75 in
West Godavari, 68 in Prakasam, 64 in Chittoor, 40 in Kurnool, 67 in Vizianagaram, 36 in
Kadapa, 41 in Srikakulam and 45 in Nellore district
There is a preliminary evidence to conclude that domestic violence during the COVID-19
increased globally. The restrictions imposed to curb the spread of virus resulted in an increase in
violence.
Housewives aged less than 30 years, and with arrange marriage were at greater odds of
experiencing domestic violence (Gebrewahd et al. 2020). Piquero et al. (2020) examined the
association between stay-at-home order in Dallas and domestic violence during COVID-19.
Reviewed 59 articles that published news related to domestic violence during COVID-19 in
India. The majority of the articles were published in The Times of India (13), followed by The
Hindu (12), and Hindustan Times (7). There were five articles each in Scroll.in, The Economic
Times, and The New India Express; three in The Indian Express; two each in The Diplomat and
Al Jazeera; and one each in BBC News, Deccan Herald, News18, Times Now, and The Wire.
In an incident from Hyderabad, a “woman and her teenage son from an earlier marriage, were
facing the brunt of her second husband’s frustration over not getting alcohol during the lockdown
(Joy 2020).” Similarly, one victim of domestic violence told Tamil Nadu police that her husband
harassed her daily due to alcohol’s non-availability (Kannan 2020). In the third incident, a
college-going youth reported that “his father was becoming violent, beating up his mother and
even grandmother, because he was having alcohol withdrawals” (Basu 2020). Not only
experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms but also consuming alcohol was found to be a cause
of domestic violence. A domestic violence victim shared that “she was depressed as her husband
had taken to alcohol abuse out of anxiety over a financial crisis” (Basu 2020). Rising price of
Alcohol and dwindling incomes is also a contributing factor to domestic violence
When the pandemic hit the nation, much of the police force was at the frontline, engaged in the
strict implementation of lockdown. Many officers were deployed at the containment zones.
Others were present at state borders to prevent the entry of people and vehicles from other states.
As the police were busy enforcing the lockdown restrictions it was found that cases of police
apathy against domestic violence victims also increased (Chandra 2020). In addition, courts were
not functioning regularly and were only hearing emergency pleas (Ratnam 2020).
The next formal source that acts as a capable guardian for the victims of domestic violence is the
support services. These support services are NGOs, ASHA workers, and counseling services
providers. Several NGOs and counseling service providers launched specific helpline numbers to
offer support to these victims. But many such helpline reported having received few complaints.
Domestic violence in India is seen as a private affair and many people think twice before
intervening. In a recent incident, a woman was brutally thrashed by her husband in Uttar
Pradesh, which allegedly led to her death. Instead of intervening and helping the woman, the
neighbors were seen to be recording the video of the incident (Mirror Now Digital 2020).
After the YSR Congress Party was elected in the state elections in 2019, a change in
administration resulted in changed plans. On December 17, 2019, Chief Minister Jaganmohan
Reddy, announced that Andhra Pradesh would have three capitals.
Protests began immediately after the proposal was put forth to the public. The protests saw huge
turnouts – especially initiated by people who had contributed their land for the capital in
exchange for developed plots in the capital city. The villages of Mandadam, Velagapudi, and
Thullur, which are closest to the Secretariat and the High Court, and which had also given large
chunks of their villages’ land to the capital, saw some of the largest protest gatherings.
Although protestors continue to demand an explanation from Jagan as to why his plans were not
declared during the election campaigning, the CM in question has not addressed any concerns or
protests and continues with business as usual, turning a blind eye to the agitation in the region.
In late January, several local media reports emerged detailing that AP police roughed up women
protestors and detained others. For example, in the Mandadam village, in a cruel display of
power and police brutality, the police allegedly dragged women, who were squatting on the road
in protest, and took them away in police vehicles. The women later lodged a complaint regarding
the misbehavior and manhandling by the police. They also alleged that the police were trying to
suppress their agitations by arresting them and filing false cases against them. Indeed, the
imposition of the paternalistic Section 144 in the greater Amaravati region, which is meant to
protect women from violence, has been redundant seeing that those very people who need
protection are now being targeted by the state.
Smith and Gray (1985) view the defining characteristic of the police occupational culture as a
“cult of masculinity” which is evidenced in the fact the personnel rely more on physical force
and less on communication skills that could defuse high tension situations. Valuing traditionally
masculine traits such as aggression, anger and brute strength, the job of these Amaravati
policemen has been to disperse the crowds of women and send them home back to the traditional
sphere of the women, simultaneously quashing these women’s right to protest.
A fact-finding team of the National Commission for Women too arrived in Andhra Pradesh to
inquire into the manhandling of women protesters. The TDP leaders also said said that YCP
activists were themselves were committing crimes against women.
The Opposition parties also made a mention of the violence perpetrated by the YCP goons
during the rural bodies local body elections to make a majority of them unanimous. The State
Election Commissioner himself sought extra security on the grounds that there is threat to his
life, the opposition parties pointed out.
There are 2,071 crime cases against SCs and STs. Andhra Pradesh also stood at the top spot in
the number of cases against police personnel with 1,681 cases registered against them."
Recently the house of a journalist working with a Telugu daily was vandalised in broad daylight.
Chandrababu Naidu accused YSR leaders of trying to burn the house of the journalist because he
was reporting on the illegal sand mining racket in Chittoor.
https://thewire.in/women/andhra-pradesh-two-brutal-murders-of-dalit-women-raise-womens-
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https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/politics/bjp-leader-slams-ys-mohan-reddy-
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https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/national-women-s-commission-slams-jagan-over-
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https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2020/jan/27/support-pours-in-for-
protests-against-shifting-of-andhra-pradesh-capital-2095048.html
https://www.socialnews.xyz/2020/03/08/women-farmers-playing-key-role-in-amaravati-protest-
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https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/80-days-protests-continue-amaravati-despite-lesser-
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http://www.hydnews.net/shaheen-bagh-of-amaravati-completes-80-days-of-protests-for-capital-
row-in-andhra-pradesh/
https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199751457.001.0001/oxfordhb-
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