Lok Sabha Question No. 3272 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-06
Subject: Branding Women as Witch
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3272

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  DECEMBER, 2016/AGRAHAYANA 15, 1938 (SAKA)

BRANDING WOMEN AS WITCH

3272. SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether instances of branding women as Witch are on the rise in the country;

(b) if so, the total number of such cases registered and women killed and the action taken against the guilty during  each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise; and

(c) the steps taken by the Government to stop such cases in future?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HANSRAJ GANGARAM AHIR)

(a) & (b): As  per  information  provided  by  the  National  Crime  Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 161, 160 and 136 cases were reported during 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively under murder (Section 302 IPC) and Culpable Homicide not amounting to murder (Section 304 IPC) with the motives  of  witchcraft in  the  country.    State/UT-wise number of cases .....2/

## L.S.US.Q.NO.3272 FOR 06.12.2016

reported  under  murder  (section  302  IPC)  &  culpable  homicide  not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) with the motive of witchcraft during 2013-2015 is enclosed as Annexure- I.

(c): As  per  the  seventh  schedule  to  the  Constitution  of  India  `Police` and  `Public Order` are State subjects  and, as such, the  primary responsibility  of  prevention,  detection,  registration,  investigation  and prosecution of crime, lies with the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations.  Harassment/torture/murder  etc.  which  are  associated with  the  witchcraft  are  already  punishable  crimes  under  Indian  Penal Code (IPC). National Commission for Women (NCW) conducts seminars and workshops from time to time to create awareness on the issue and discourage such practices.

******

## State/UT wise no. of cases reported under murder (section 302 IPC) and culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) for the purpose of witchcraft during 2013-2015

| SL   | State/UT               | 2013                     | 2013                                                        | 2013                                                 | 2014                     | 2014                                                        | 2014                                                 | 2015                     | 2015                                                        | 2015                                                 |
|------|------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------|
|      | State/UT               | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total cases in which person killed due to witchcraft | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total cases in which person killed due to witchcraft | Murder (section 302 IPC) | Culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 IPC) | Total cases in which person killed due to witchcraft |
| 1    | Andhra Pradesh         | 15                       | 0                                                           | 15                                                   | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                    | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    |
| 2    | Arunachal Pradesh      | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 3    | Assam                  | 6                        | 0                                                           | 6                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 4    | Bihar                  | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 6                        | 0                                                           | 6                                                    | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                    |
| 5    | Chhattisgarh           | 7                        | 0                                                           | 7                                                    | 16                       | 0                                                           | 16                                                   | 10                       | 0                                                           | 10                                                   |
| 6    | Goa                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 7    | Gujarat                | 4                        | 0                                                           | 4                                                    | 10                       | 0                                                           | 10                                                   | 13                       | 0                                                           | 13                                                   |
| 8    | Haryana                | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 9    | Himachal Pradesh       | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 10   | Jammu& Kashmir         | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 1                                                           | 1                                                    |
| 11   | Jharkhand              | 54                       | 1                                                           | 55                                                   | 47                       | 0                                                           | 47                                                   | 32                       | 0                                                           | 32                                                   |
| 12   | Karnataka              | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 3                        | 0                                                           | 3                                                    |
| 13   | Kerala                 | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 1                                                           | 1                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 14   | Madhya Pradesh         | 11                       | 0                                                           | 11                                                   | 24                       | 0                                                           | 24                                                   | 20                       | 0                                                           | 20                                                   |
| 15   | Maharashtra            | 10                       | 0                                                           | 10                                                   | 5                        | 0                                                           | 5                                                    | 5                        | 0                                                           | 5                                                    |
| 16   | Manipur                | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 17   | Meghalaya              | 8                        | 0                                                           | 8                                                    | 1                        | 1                                                           | 2                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 18   | Mizoram                | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 19   | Nagaland               | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 20   | Odisha                 | 24                       | 0                                                           | 24                                                   | 32                       | 0                                                           | 32                                                   | 26                       | 0                                                           | 26                                                   |
| 21   | Punjab                 | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 22   | Rajasthan              | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    |
| 23   | Sikkim                 | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 24   | Tamil Nadu             | 16                       | 0                                                           | 16                                                   | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 25   | Telangana              |                          |                                                             | 0                                                    | 8                        | 0                                                           | 8                                                    | 14                       | 0                                                           | 14                                                   |
| 26   | Tripura                | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    |
| 27   | Uttar Pradesh          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 3                        | 2                                                           | 5                                                    | 3                        | 0                                                           | 3                                                    |
| 28   | Uttarakhand            | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 29   | West Bengal            | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 1                        | 0                                                           | 1                                                    | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                    |
|      | TOTAL STATE(S)         | 160                      | 1                                                           | 161                                                  | 156                      | 4                                                           | 160                                                  | 133                      | 1                                                           | 134                                                  |
| 30   | A & N Islands          | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 2                        | 0                                                           | 2                                                    |
| 31   | Chandigarh             | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 32   | D&N Haveli             | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 33   | Daman& Diu             | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 34   | Delhi UT               | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 35   | Lakshadweep            | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    | 0                        | 0                                                           | 0                                                    |
| 36   | Puducherry TOTAL UT(S) | 0 0                      | 0 0                                                         | 0 0                                                  | 0 0                      | 0 0                                                         | 0 0                                                  | 0 2                      | 0 0                                                         | 0 2                                                  |
|      | TOTAL (ALL INDIA)      |                          | 1                                                           | 161                                                  | 156                      | 4                                                           | 160                                                  | 135                      | 1                                                           |                                                      |
|      |                        | 160                      |                                                             |                                                      |                          |                                                             |                                                      |                          |                                                             | 136                                                  |

Source: Crime in India