Maharashtra has emerged as the most dangerous place for children under 12, with the highest number of murder victims in this age group across the country. While some of these child killings may be linked with kidnappings, social factors common in many slums such as domestic strife and sexual abuse are contributing to children becoming victims. According to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for the year 2022, Maharashtra surpasses other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Bihar, with 46 boys and 45 girls under 12 years of age falling victim to murder. Even when extending the age bar to 18 years, the state only slips to the second spot, trailing behind Uttar Pradesh.

 

 

 

A five-year-old girl became a victim of alleged parental brutality in a “black magic” ritual aimed at dispelling “evil forces”, in Rana Pratap Nagar area of Nagpur this year. The child’s father, Siddharth Chimne (45), mother and aunt had killed the child at their house. Tragedies like these are not isolated. On June 21, 2021, a 50-year-old man in Nagpur took his own life after killing five family members, including his two children. In a recent case,a woman died by suicide after allegedly killing her three-year-old daughter at Narkhed in Nagpur district. The grim statistics continue: 34 boys and 26 girls under six years of age were killed, along with 12 boys and 19 girls in the 6-12 age group. Instances of child murders are not limited to a particular region, with several cases reported in Nagpur and through out Maharashtra. In 2021, 101 children under the age group were killed in the State while 121 children were killed in 2020 which shows a continous trend of child murders in the State.

 

According to a retired Director General of Police, a majority of the se deat hsstem from sexual abuse, crimes for money, and instances of domestic violence. Disturbingly, sexual abuse cases surface in lowerincome classes while occurrences in the upper class often go unreported or unnoticed. A serving police official who do not wish to be named suggested that most childmurders involve known perpetrators who take advantage of the child’s vulnerability. “High prevalence of addiction to liquor, drugs, gambling, and prostitution among male heads of families in Maharashtra are the reason for the surge in domestic violence especillay in middle and lower-income groups in the State. And, most child victims losing their lives in the midst of such domestic turmoil,” he said.