The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ministry of Home Affairs has published the Crime in India 2014 report, an annual report on the national crime statistics, which revealed that 384 cases of crime against foreign tourists were registered in 2014.
According to statistics in the report, Delhi had 135 cases registered, which is said to be the highest number, followed by Goa (66) and Uttar Pradesh (64). Rajasthan saw 31 cases of crimes against foreign tourists and Maharastra ranked fifth, with 25 cases. The report revealed that North Eastern states of Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Assam and Sikkim had no such cases registered.
In terms of the nature of crimes, out of 384, the highest 223 cases involved crimes of theft, whereas crimes against women foreign tourists amounted to 54, of which, 18 cases are of sexual offences.
Expressing concern over the issue, Sarabjit Singh, vice president, FAITH, said, “The main reason behind this is the vagueness of standards in the tourism industry. It is very important for the government to fix responsibilities. One of the solutions is to screen and register people working in the travel fraternity. Today anybody can pose as a travel agent or a tour guide; this gives rise to various crimes against foreign tourists.”
“The crime statistics should not be more stressed upon, it will only induce fear among foreign tourists coming to India. We must work on fixing the root of the cause,” he added.