Editorial With Sujit Nair | Are Crimes Against Foreigners In India Real?

In this edition of "Editorial," Mr. Sujit Nair addresses the issue of the notably low conviction rates in 'Crimes against Foreigners' in India. The discussion centers on a recent gang-rape incident involving a Spanish woman in Jharkhand, shedding light on the overall decline in conviction rates for crimes against foreigners in the country. Statistical data reveals that a majority of such crimes rarely proceed to court, and convictions are even more infrequent. Over the seven-year period from 2016 to 2022, India recorded 148 rape cases involving foreign victims, but only 16 of these cases were resolved by the courts. Resolution encompasses various outcomes such as convictions, discharges, acquittals, or other actions taken by the court. Out of these 16 cases, a mere seven resulted in convictions, illustrating that approximately one in every 20 reported rape cases involving foreign victims leads to a conviction. It's important to note that these seven convictions may have originated from cases filed well before 2016. Examining the reported cases and achieved convictions over a specific timeframe, in this instance, seven years, provides insight into the number of cases reported to the police and the subsequent conviction rates.