In one of the more shocking reveals of the newly-released National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics, in 2016, Maharashtra emerged as the state that tops in case of murder of children below six years of age. According to the statistics, 162 children below the age of 16 year were killed in Maharashtra. Of these, 94 children were below the age of six. Karanataka and Gujarat share the dubious second position in such cases with 53 murders of children below six years of age. Uttar Pradesh (UP) ranks third with 49 murders. A detailed analysis of the NCRB report revealed that a total of 491 children below six years of age were murdered in India.

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"It is a serious issue if Maharashtra tops in murder of children below six years of age in the country. The Commission will ask for these statistics from NCRB and analyse it. If such crimes are committed in Maharashtra, then image of the state also gets affected. Also an assessment needs to be done as to what situations and motives led to these murders and what should be done to tackle this issue," said Pravin Ghuge, Chairperson, Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR).

In Maharashtra, 46 boys and 48 girls below the age group of six years were victims of murder.

This was followed by 26 boys and 27 girls murdered in Karnataka, 30 boys and 23 girls murdered in Gujarat and 26 boys and 23 girls having murdered in UP in 2016.

Further, a total of 390 children in the age group of six to twelve years were murdered in 2016. Maharashtra holds second position in this category of murder of children in the age group of six years to twelve years, statistics revealed.

In UP, most children under the age group of six to 12 years were killed (93), followed by 39 children killed in Maharashtra, and 24 children killed in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu respectively.

Additionally, 437 children in the age group of 12 to 16 years were killed, of which UP witnessed maximum killings (188), followed by 31 children killed in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra with 29 murders.

"Crimes against minors are one of the main priorities for the police," said a senior police officer, requesting anonymity.