West Bengal recorded 2,454 rape cases and 600 murders between 1 May and 24 September, according to figures attributed to the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) in a Right to Information (RTI) response.
The data triggered a fresh political battle over law and order five months after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government took office.
The statistics, disclosed on 28 September following an RTI application filed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale, translate into an average of nearly 17 reported rape cases and four murders every day, reports National Herald.
The data also listed 13,114 attempted murders and 32,341 cases of assault causing grievous hurt across the state.
A monthly breakdown of the figures reveals a sharp spike in reported rape cases in July, when 786 cases were registered, compared with 349 in May and 389 in June. The count fell to 459 in August before rising again to 471 between 1 and 24 September.
Attempted murder cases stood at 2,947 in May, 2,562 in June, 3,096 in July, 2,498 in August, and 2,011 up to 24 September. The RTI response, however, did not include comparative data from prior periods to establish whether overall crime levels have increased since the change of government.
Political reactions
The disclosure has provided the Trinamool Congress with fresh ammunition to attack the BJP state administration over law and order and women’s safety.
On social media, the TMC’s official X account described the findings as proof of failure to protect women, posting, “2,400+ RAPE CASES IN BENGAL IN JUST 5 MONTHS UNDER BJP!.”
TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee termed the figures a “snapshot of the BJP’s ‘DOUBLE ENGINE’ disaster in West Bengal.”
Highlighting daily averages of 16 rapes, four murders, 87 attempted murders, and 216 grievous assaults, Banerjee argued that the numbers directly contradicted the BJP’s governance promises.
He also linked the issue to the ongoing political dispute regarding the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and allegations of “vote chori.”
Meanwhile, TMC MLA and spokesperson Kunal Ghosh demanded an urgent Assembly session alongside formal statements from both the chief minister and governor.
Ghosh alleged that the statistics reflected “police raj, goonda raj, threat and politics of fear”, questioning how women could feel safe given the volume of recorded crimes.
The BJP has yet to issue a detailed public response specifically addressing the latest RTI figures.
However, BJP State President Samik Bhattacharya has consistently maintained a tough public stance on crime since taking office.
In July, following the Baruipur rape-and-murder case, Bhattacharya stated: “Those who have committed rape or murder will not be spared. They will be dug out from their graves.
Criminals should either be behind the bars or should die,” whilst reiterating the party’s slogan “bhoy out, bharsa in” (fear out, trust in).
In September, addressing party workers, Bhattacharya re-emphasised a “zero tolerance” policy towards violence and extortion, stating that the BJP’s “massive mandate” brought a responsibility to maintain a peaceful environment conducive to investment.
