The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government, that came under criticism for its handling of Hathras gang-rape and murder case, has claimed that the number of rape cases in the state decreased by 42.24 per cent since the year 2016.

The government claimed that crimes against women have dropped by 27.32 per cent as compared to last year, while the incidents of abduction of women have decreased by 39 per cent since the same period in 2016.

Rape incidents became a frequently reported affair in UP and the issue was highlighted when several cases were reported in Balrampur, Azamgarh and Bulandshahr following the ‘Hathras Horror’.

The state government in a statement claimed that it will strictly look into crimes against women and claimed that five people were sentenced to death while 193 have been convicted in the tenure of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The government also had claimed to have recorded the highest conviction rate in the cases of crime against women and cybercrime in the country, based on National Crime Records Bureau suggested that UP the Indian Express reported.

The Yogi government in the press statement listed various steps taken to check crime against women which involved anti-Romeo squads, UP-112 India App, night security cover scheme, women helpdesks and pink booths.

Also Read: Consistent Decline In Conviction Rates In Caste-Based Violence Cases For Past Three Years: NCRB Data