Calvary Bible College

Understanding Indian Society

Abhisek Dey
B.D-III; Roll- 03 Submitted to:
Date of Submission: 14th July, 2023 Pastor LS Lalhruaisanga
Topic: Crime in India
Introduction
Crime in an ordinary language is an unlawful act which is punishable by a state or other
authority. While every crime violates the law, not every violation of the law counts as a crime.
The crime rate differs from place to place. The paper will be dealing with the various forms,
causes and the different views and approaches to tackle it. Here in this paper, the Crime in the
context of India will be dealt.
1. Definition
The exact definition of crime is a philosophical issue without an agreed upon answer.
Fields such as law, politics, sociology, and psychology define crime in different ways. One
proposed definition is that “a crime or offence (or criminal offence) is an act harmful not only to
some individual but also to a community, society, or the state. Such acts are forbidden and
punishable by law.”1 Crimes may be variously considered as wrongs against individuals, against
the community, or against the state. The criminality of an action is dependent on its context; acts
of violence will be seen as crimes in many circumstances but as permissible or desirable in
others.2 Crime was historically seen as a manifestation of evil, but this has been superseded by
modern criminal theories.3
According to a generally accepted principle that there can be no crime without a law. A
crime is man’s own moral choice.4 A crime generally consists of both conduct and a concurrent
state of mind. Criminal acts include arson, assault and battery, bribery,
fraud, hijacking, homicide, kidnapping, perjury, piracy, rape, sedition, smuggling, treason, theft,
burglary, child abuse, counterfeiting, embezzlement, extortion, forgery,
usury, conspiracy; criminology; felony and misdemeanor; indictment; rights of the accused; self-
incrimination; sentence; statute of limitations; war crime.5 Every Jurisdiction and law have its
own form of defining a gruesome act of Crime.
2. Forms of Crime
Crime in India is very common and happens in many different ways. Along with violent
crimes (like homicide, robbery, and assault), and property crimes (like burglary, theft, motor
Vehicle theft, and arson), there are major problems with organized crime, the illegal drug trade,

1
J. A. Simpson and Edmund Weiner, The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. (Oxford, England: Oxford
University Press, 2009), 168.
2
Ezzat A. Fattah, Criminology: Past, Present and Future: A Critical Overview, illustrated Edition
(Philadelphia: Springer press, 1997), 49.
3
Elizabeth A. Martin, Oxford Dictionary of Law, 7th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003), 222.
4
Charles Colson, Crime and the Responsible Community, eds. John Stott and Nick Miller (London: Hodder
and Stoughton, 1980), 37.
5
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India (New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 1992), 37.

1
arms trafficking, corruption, and many other forms of crime. The most common types of crimes
in India are listed below.
2.1. Crimes against women
National Crime Records Bureau 6 records show high incidence of crimes against women
in India. Sexual assault against women in India is increasingly common. Despite a large
population, statistically sexual assault in India is not rampant.
2.1.1. Rape
Rape in India has been described as one of India's most common crimes against
women. When it comes to sexual violence, a potent mix of caste-driven rivalries, and sometimes
religion-based ones, have been the prime motivational reasons. sexual violence cases involving
marginalized groups - including tribal people and the Dalits, who form the bottom of the Hindu
caste and social hierarchy - haven't received enough public attention. Vulnerable to systematic
discrimination and attacks, women from the Dalit community regularly fall victim to sexual
crimes committed by upper-caste Hindu men. 7 Political assertion by the Dalits has also been a
reason for the increase in attacks. The government's claims about safeguarding Dalit rights are a
sham. Caste-based power dynamics need to be challenged.8
2.1.2. Dowry
Dowries are considered a major contributor towards the violence against women in India.
Some of these offences include physical violence, emotional abuses, and murder of brides and
girls. Most dowry deaths occur when the young woman, unable to bear the harassment and
torture, commits suicide. Most of these suicides are by hanging, poisoning or by fire. Sometimes
the woman is killed by setting her on fire - this is known as bride burning, and is sometimes
disguised as suicide or accident.9
2.1.3. Domestic violence
Domestic violence in India includes any form of violence suffered by a person from a
biological relative but typically is the violence suffered by a woman by male members of her
family or relatives. Around 70% of women in India are victims of domestic violence, according
to NCRB. Domestic violence is currently defined in India by the Protection of Women from
Domestic Violence Act of 2005. 10 This violence includes the act of Physical, Emotional, Sexual
Assault, Honor killing or any kind of non-ethical act toward the victim.

2.2. Organized crime

2.2.1. Human Trafficking
Human trafficking in India is a serious issue. It usually comes in the form of offering
employment to the poor and uneducated. Women are sold to brothels or families as maids, where
they are usually raped, tortured and sexually assaulted. In 2021, India has passed a bill for
fighting human trafficking.11

2.2.2. Illegal Drug trade

6
Hereafter NCRB.
7
Murali Krishnan, “Caste dynamics behind sexual violence in India (New Delhi),
https://www.dw.com/en/caste-dynamics-behind-sexual-violence-in-india/a-43732012. Accessed on 8 th July,2023.
8
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India…, 72.
9
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India…, 87.
10
Crime in India 2018, Vol. 1. http:// ncrb.gov.in. Accessed on 8th July, 2023.
11
Crime in India 2018, Vol. 1. http:// ncrb.gov.in. Accessed on 8th July, 2023.

2
 India experiences large amount of drug trafficking through the borders. India is the
world's largest producer of licit opium for the pharmaceutical trade. But an undetermined
quantity of opium is diverted to illicit international drug markets. The most common drugs used
in India are cannabis, hashish, opium and heroin.12
2.2.3. Cyber Crime
Any unlawful act where computer or communication device or computer network is used
to commit or facilitate the commission of a crime. Crimes as these though does not inflict
damage to a person directly yet it put the property or a privacy of an individual or a company at
risk or loss.
2.2.4. Other Crimes
There are other crimes which are generally witnessed in the society. Though a crime yet
it bypasses the eyes of the law or with a minimal punishment as it being considered as a petty
crime. Crimes such as Corruption, police misconduct, Poaching and wildlife trafficking, Taxi
scam, Illegal drug trade and so on.

3. Sociological Look at Crime

3.1. Leading Factors
Crime is manifestation of myriad complex factors. The causes of criminal behavior lie
in the social processes and structures. There are also other reasons such as unemployment,
poverty, a lower per capita income which can affect the crime rates in India. 13 People commit
crimes due to the process of socialization that does not develop strong sense of right or wrong
and due to the emerging opportunities, the enlarging desires that act as strong motivation for
taking to crime to fulfill these desires. The genesis of crime can be traced to interplay of various
social, economic, demographic, local and institutional factors. The presumption that crime occurs
because of the failures of police therefore displays a complete lack of understanding of the
theories of criminal behavior.14
Further, these social factors along with other latent and concomitant factors vary
significantly across different regions, states and societies. The differences in procedures over
large geographical regions and styles of functioning inherent between organizations also create
wide variances. Hence, doing comparison among States/districts/regions/social groups etc. on the
basis of these published data alone will be too simplistic and is best avoided. Further, no
weightage has been assigned to the gravity or nature of the crime. All crimes have thus been
treated equal in counting the total crime for a State or City. More crime registered say, in a city
is, therefore, not an indicator of its being comparatively unsafe than the city where total crime
may be less.15
Lastly, as crime increases with population, Crime per lakh population (Crime Rate) may
be a better indicator to assess increase or decrease in crime. However, a word of caution here!
The primary presumption that the upward swing in police data indicates an increase in crime and
thus a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the police is fallacious. Rise in crime and increase in
registration of crime by police are clearly two different things, a fact which is often confused.
Thus, an oft-repeated expectation from certain quarters that an effective police administration
will be able to keep the crime figures low is misplaced. Increase in crime numbers in a State
12
Crime in India 2018, Vol. 1. http:// ncrb.gov.in. Accessed on 8th July, 2023.
13
Charles Colson, Crime and the Responsible Community…, 39.
14
S. M. Edwardes, Crime in India (New Delhi: National Book Trust, 2007), 45- 46.
15
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India…, 94.

3
police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen centric police initiatives, like launching
of e-FIR facility or women Helpdesks, etc. The increase or decrease in crime numbers, however,
does call for a professional investigation of underlying factors jointly with local communities to
suitably address the issues involved.16
3.2. Crime Prevention
Crime prevention is critical to maintain law and order in the country. Deterring
criminals through deployment of more police is one of the major strategies practiced. However,
their relationship is very complex. A society cannot eliminate crime but it can always reduce it.
When a nation or society indulges itself in activities and strategies that could prevent crime from
happening in the first place, it is called crime prevention.17
3.2.1. Crime Prevention Strategies
Crime prevention can take form in many different ways and should be prevented
accordingly with the help of different strategies. A society can also benefit from crime prevention
in several ways with a major focus on the safety and security of the people. A nation can achieve
crime prevention only by adopting certain strategies and activities that could implement the
prevention of crime. These strategies are important for crime prevention and they provide a
planned and flexible approach towards reducing crime. The efforts that are put up in preventing
crime is known as crime prevention and undertaking these strategies amplify those efforts. Some
of the strategies that can be used in crime prevention are: -
3.2.1.1 . Situational Crime Prevention
The strategy of situational crime prevention is focused on the place or a setting where a
crime would occur with a special focus on specific crimes. It is a preventive approach that does
not aim at improving society but to reduce the opportunities for crime. The situational crime
prevention strategy is an outcome of the Opportunity Theory. This theory deals with the
opportunities and inducements present in the environment that encourages an offender to commit
a crime. Also, criminal activity doesn’t take place randomly at any location but on certain places
that are called hot-spots for the commission of a crime.18
3.2.1.2. Developmental Crime Prevention
Developmental crime refers to the behavior that is formed in a life course that can cause
the happening of a crime. The developmental crime prevention strategy aims to intervene at an
early stage in life so that it can prevent future criminal activity. A healthy and positive
environment helps the young to avoid going on a path that is harmful and that eventually results
in a criminal act. This strategy is used so that a person from a young age is able to make better
choices and crime, caused due to the behavior stemmed from negative past experiences, can be
avoided.19
3.2.1.3. Community Crime Prevention
The strategy of community crime prevention is somewhat a combination of both
situational and developmental crime prevention. Community crime prevention puts its major
focus on the ability of communities to regulate the social conditions of crime. The actions taken
with a view to change the structure or culture of the resident communities that could restrain

16
Murali Krishnan, “Caste dynamics behind sexual violence in India (New Delhi),
https://www.dw.com/en/caste-dynamics-behind-sexual-violence-in-india/a-43732012. Accessed on 8 th July,2023.
17
Crime in India 2018, Vol. 1. http:// ncrb.gov.in. Accessed on 9th July, 2023.
18
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India…, 129.
19
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India…, 130.

4
crime is the basic purpose of community crime prevention. The different types of strategies
include a change in urban design, community policing, peer influence, etc. Community crime
prevention can only be successful with equal efforts on the part of members and well as the
police. It strengthens the ability of communities to deal with problems that can lead to a crime or
violence.20
4. A Theological approach
Crime basing on Christian understandings of human nature, redemption, and community,
it focuses more on transforming an individual to a model of restoration and rehabilitation which
can be instituted as programs offered within the incarceration system in order to promote the
well-being of offenders. The first model, restorative justice, is a broad set of approaches which
focuses on undoing the communal damage of crime by restoring the bonds of the community
through restitution and reconciliation. The second approach is the Good Lives Model which
undertakes offender rehabilitation based in the understanding that crime is an unhealthy way in
which individuals pursue the good life. The third model consists of therapeutic communities
which encourage their residents to find healing in community with other people, developing
healthy prosocial practices which will help offenders re-enter society upon release. These are
three secular models which have strong ties to Christian theological principles and can provide a
path to structural reform of the corrections system. 21 By instituting these programs of
rehabilitation in conjunction with incarceration (or as an alternative), Christians can work to
recover the mission of redemption which first shaped the modern penitentiary.22
4.2. Re-orienting the Lives
This sense of hope and redemption plays a crucial role in the practical application of the
gospel (Isaiah 61:6; Hebrews 2:15; Matthew 25:36). Since individuals’ futures are often
dependent on how they construct their narratives of the past. It encourages inmates to realize that
their previous lifestyles or momentary impulses may have led them into crime and prison, but
that they are now turning around and pursuing a better life. 23 If inmates are trapped into “reading
from a condemnation script,” they will begin to identify themselves as nothing more than
criminals, and the invectives thrown against will become a self-fulfilling prophecy as they lapse
back into crime.24 The solution to recidivism is breaking individuals out of these mental ruts, so
that they can develop a healthy attitude toward life which can guide their choices in the future. 25
Rather than placing the emphasis of carceral rituals of condemnation and loss of identity,
Maruna argues that a rhetoric of redemption should emphasize and reward progress, celebrating
one’s release or reform rather than treating it with shame or silence. 26 Proper human behavior can

20
Ahuja Ram, Social Problems in India…, 133.
21
Charles Colson, Crime and the Responsible Community…, 48.
22
Vincent Bacote and Nathaniel Perrin, Redemptive Rehabilitation: Theological Approaches to Criminal
Justice Reform.
https://christianscholars.com/redemptive-rehabilitation-theological-approaches-to-criminal-justice-reform/. Accessed
on 9th July, 2023.
23
Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow, The Criminal Personality: The Change Process, Vol. 2.
(Lanham, MD: Jason Aronson Press, 1985), 90-93.
24
Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow, The Criminal Personality: The Change Process…, 90-93.
25
Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow, The Criminal Personality: The Change Process…, 90-93.
26
Shadd Maruna, Making Good: How Ex-Convicts Reform and Rebuild Their Lives (Washington D.C.:
American Psychological Association, 2001), 74-78.

5
only be achieved through restoring this ordering of goods through the grace by which God
redirects our desires.27

Conclusion
The increasing crime rate can only result in an increased number of criminal cases to
solve for the justice system if they are not effectively and efficiently prevented. Crime prevention
is an activity undertaken by various nations and organizations to reduce the rate of crime and
create a safer environment for the citizens. Policing has emerged as a very important aspect of
the prevention of crime. Policing strategies help in identifying areas that are more likely to
witness a crime and because of this reason policing should not be reluctant towards modern
technology and tools. The safety of individuals can be ensured only when all community
members work collectively to prevent crime. Crime prevention is not the business of a single
person but everyone.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bibliography
Colson, Charles. Crime and the Responsible Community, eds. John Stott and Nick Miller.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1980.
Edwardes, S. M. Crime in India. New Delhi: National Book Trust, 2007.
Fattah, Ezzat A. Criminology: Past, Present and Future: A Critical Overview, illustrated Edition.
Philadelphia: Springer press, 1997.
Martin, Elizabeth A. Oxford Dictionary of Law, 7th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Maruna, Shadd. Making Good: How Ex-Convicts Reform and Rebuild Their Lives. Washington
D.C.: American Psychological Association, 2001.
Ram, Ahuja. Social Problems in India. New Delhi: Rawat Publications, 1992.
Simpson, J. A. and Edmund Weiner. The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Oxford, England:
Oxford University Press, 2009.

Webliography

Bacote, Vincent and Nathaniel Perrin. Redemptive Rehabilitation: Theological Approaches to

Criminal Justice Reform. https://christianscholars.com/redemptive-rehabilitation-
theological-approaches-to-criminal-justice-reform/. Accessed on 9th July, 2023.

Krishnan, Murali. “Caste dynamics behind sexual violence in India (New Delhi),
https://www.dw.com/en/caste-dynamics-behind-sexual-violence-in-india/a-43732012.
Accessed on 8th July,2023.

Crime in India 2018, Vol. 1. http:// ncrb.gov.in. Accessed on 8th July, 2023.
27
Samuel Yochelson and Stanton Samenow, The Criminal Personality: The Change Process…, 90-93.

6
7