Corruption cases: At 71% Gujarat has one of the highest acquittal rates in India, Crime Bureau data suggest

Counterview Desk
A recent study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), a well-known rights-based NGO with presence in several countries, has revealed that Gujarat, which happens to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “model state”, has experienced one of the lowest conviction rates in corruption cases registered during 2001-15.
Bases on an analysis of the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data of 15 years, CHRI in its report “Fact and Fiction: Governments’ Efforts to Combat Corruption”, prepared by right to information (RTI) activist Venkatesh Nayak, says, out of a total of 49,28,153 criminal cases registered in Gujarat during the period, just about 3148 (or 0.06%) related to corruption.
Pointing out that this is equal to the national average, the report says that the states where a higher percentage of corruption cases than Gujarat vis-à-vis total number of criminal cases were registered are Haryana (0.2%), Himachal Pradesh (0.42%), Jammu & Kashmir (0.26%), Karnataka 0.22%), Maharashtra (0.17%), Odisha (0.47%), Punjab (0.38%), Rajasthan (0.2%), and Telangana (0.13%).
As for acquittals because of court trials, the report states, in Gujarat these were 70.59%, one of the highest in the country among big states.
While the all-India acquittal rate, 64.73%, is much lower than that of Gujarat, the states which experienced lower acquittal rates include Andhra Pradesh (48.13%), Assam (30%), Bihar (54.15%), Chhattisgarh (57.47%), Himachal Pradesh (27.77%), Kerala (47.97%), Madhya Pradesh (47.08%), Odisha (63.88%), Punjab (69.1%), Tamil Nadu (65.85%), Telangana (52.68%), and Uttarakhand (51.06%).
Higher number of acquittals has happened in Gujarat even as Haryana was found to be topping the list with 86.10% (2,106 against 2,446) of corruption cases being registered, followed by Gujarat 81.26% (2,558 out of 3,148), Maharashtra 72.10%, Himachal Pradesh 67.78%, Karnataka at 62.51% and Jammu and Kashmir at 54.64%.
Higher acquittal rates in Gujarat has come about against the backdrop of the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) figures for 2015 released by reputed consultants, Transparency International, in which India ranks 76th among 168 countries surveyed for people’s perceptions about corruption.
Countries like Bhutan (27), Chile (23), Ghana (56), Jordan (45), Namibia (45), Panama (72), Rwanda (44), Saudi Arabia (48), Senegal (61), Seychelles (40), South Africa (61) and Uruguay (21) scored better than India on CPI. In the BRICS grouping, India keeps company with Brazil at 76th place while China is at 83 and Russia far below at 119.
Giving a comparison of corruption with other types of cases across India, the report reveals, during 2001-15, the NCRB reported the registration of 5,01,852 cases of murder, as against only registration of just about 54,139 cases of corruption. “In other words, for ten murders registered, only one case of corruption was registered across the country”, the report states.
Then, says the report, during this 15-year period, the NCRB reported the registration of 5.87 lakh cases (5,87,347 cases) of kidnapping or abduction across the country. “In other words, for 11 kidnappings or abductions registered across the country, only one case of corruption was registered by the law enforcement authorities”, says the report.
“This comparison seems to indicate severe lack of public confidence in the ability of the anti-corruption agencies to investigate a complaint of corruption, collect evidence and put the case up for trial”, comments Nayak.
Regrets Nayak, “Even though India ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in 2011, this year, International Anti-Corruption Day went by uncelebrated and in fact almost unnoticed.”

Comments

'Threat to farmers’ rights': New seeds Bill sparks fears of rising corporate control

By Bharat Dogra As debate intensifies over a new seeds bill, groups working on farmers’ seed rights, seed sovereignty and rural self-reliance have raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation. To understand these anxieties, it is important to recognise a global trend: growing control of the seed sector by a handful of multinational companies. This trend risks extending corporate dominance across food and farming systems, jeopardising the livelihoods and rights of small farmers and raising serious ecological and health concerns. The pending bill must be assessed within this broader context.

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Why economic war waged by US has created the situation for Iran's turmoil

By Vijay Prashad Iran is in turmoil. Across the country, there have been protests of different magnitudes, with violence on the increase with both protesters and police finding themselves in the morgue. What began as work stoppages and inflation protests drew together a range of discontent, with women and young people frustrated with a system unable to secure their livelihood. Iran has been under prolonged economic siege and has been attacked directly by Israel and the United States not only within its borders, but across West Asia (including in its diplomatic enclaves in Syria). This economic war waged by the United States has created the situation for this turmoil, but the turmoil itself is not directed at Washington but at the government in Tehran.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Climate advocates face scrutiny as India expands coal dependence

By A Representative The National Alliance for Climate and Environmental Justice (NACEJ) has strongly criticized what it described as coercive actions against climate activists Harjeet Singh and Sanjay Vashisht, following enforcement raids reportedly carried out on the basis of alleged violations of foreign exchange regulations and intelligence inputs.

Search This Blog