ROHTAK, May 10 -- Even as Haryana recorded a decline in overall criminal activities in 2024, the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report revealed a disturbing reality: women and children continue to be among the softest targets of crime in the state. According to the NCRB report, Crime in India 2024, Haryana recorded 4,422 cases of cruelty by husbands or relatives. This represents a 14.81% decrease from the 5,191 cases reported in 2023. Despite this decline, the state also recorded 177 dowry-related deaths this year, highlighting a persistent crisis of domestic violence. Haryana is second to Delhi, where 4,647 cases of domestic cruelty were reported. Incidents of child procuration and child marriages are also dominating the state's crime record chart. The state reported a total of 9,609 offences against women and children, including 956 murders, placing Haryana at the 12th position nationally despite its population share ranking at 17th in the country. Besides 207 murders of women, Haryana also stood at the sixth position nationally with 801 cases of kidnapping, abducting or inducing women for marriage. Shockingly, Haryana remained at the top position in child procuration cases as data shows the state reported the highest 738 cases out of a total of 1,671 such cases nationwide. Similarly, out of a total of 16 cases of kidnapping or abducting a child with intent to steal from the person reported across India, 14 cases were from Haryana alone. Child marriages are still prevalent as the state reported 28 cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act. The other disturbing figure is 1,391 rape cases registered during the year, giving Haryana a crime rate of 9.6 per lakh population and placing the state at the fourth position among the states, against the national average of 4.2. Additionally, Haryana reported 110 cases of attempt to commit rape during this period. The state reported 440 cases of assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, 267 cases of assault with intent to disrobe women, 354 stalking cases and 390 incidents related to insulting the modesty of women. Moreover, sexual harassment in public places remains a major concern, with 282 cases of sexual harassment to women, including 20 incidents at workplaces and 10 cases reported in public transport and public places. Haryana also registered 2,246 cases under children-related laws, including 2,116 cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, with a crime rate of 23.2 per lakh population. The state also witnessed 91 cases under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. Out of 722 kidnapping and abduction cases reported in the state, 517 involved missing children (deemed kidnapped). The data also showed 130 cases of kidnapping and abduction involving children against 75 cases of adults. The report shows a total of 59 children and teenagers were murdered in Haryana during 2024 and 24 of them were girls. Moreover, the state continued to struggle with property-related offences with 9,083 burglary cases, including 1,550-day burglaries. Haryana ranked second in the country after Maharashtra in burglary incidents. The crime data shows that Haryana recorded 1,77,595 crime cases in 2024, lower than the 2,24,216 cases reported in 2023. However, the state's crime rate still stood at 578.6 cases per one lakh population with a chargesheet filing rate of 60.8%, against the national average of 418.9 cases per one lakh population and a chargesheeting rate of 80.3%, respectively. Congress general secretary and Sirsa MP Kumari Selja on Saturday expressed deep concern over the latest NCRB report, stating that the rate of crime against children was the highest among the states. The state recorded 6,138 crimes against children in 2022, 6,401 in 2023 and 7,547 crimes in 2024, according to the 'Crime in India 2024' report released by the NCRB. Calling the situation extremely unfortunate and alarming, Selja, in a statement, said that according to NCRB data, 7,547 cases of crimes against children were registered in Haryana in 2024 - nearly 18% higher than the 6,401 cases recorded in 2023. "These include serious offences such as kidnapping, sexual abuse, violence and murder," she said. The Congress leader alleged that the figures reflected not only the failure of law and order but also growing social insensitivity....