Conviction rates in several major categories of crimes against women in Odisha declined in 2025 compared to 2024, even as the state government and police have repeatedly emphasised measures to strengthen prosecutions, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Monday, 28 September 2026.

Key Declines Across Crime Categories

The conviction rate in rape cases fell from 13% in 2024 to 11.6% in 2025. Trials were completed in 1,666 rape cases in 2024, yielding 216 convictions, while in 2025, 1,467 trials concluded with only 170 convictions.

In attempted rape cases, the conviction rate dropped sharply from 9.3% to 5.1% — just two convictions out of 39 cases tried in 2025, compared to four out of 43 the previous year.

Conviction rates in assault on women with intent to outrage modesty slipped marginally from 3.8% in 2024 to 3.6% in 2025, even as the number of trials rose substantially — from 3,378 to 4,265, with 153 convictions recorded in 2025 against 127 in 2024.

Cases of cruelty by husband or relatives saw the steepest proportional decline, with the conviction rate falling from 2.4% to 1.5%. Trials in this category surged from 2,192 to 3,323, yet convictions dipped from 53 to 50. Similarly, the conviction rate in cases of insult to the modesty of women fell from 3.6% to 2.9%, with 15 convictions in 515 trials in 2025.

Two Categories Buck the Trend

Not all figures pointed downward. Conviction rates in POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) cases rose significantly from 11.8% in 2024 to 18.7% in 2025, with 396 convictions out of 2,113 trials — up sharply from 190 convictions out of 1,615 trials the previous year.

Dowry death convictions also improved modestly, with the rate rising from 8.4% to 9.4% — nine convictions each year, but out of a lower number of trials (95 in 2025 versus 107 in 2024).

Overall Crimes Against Women in Odisha

Chief Minister Majhi disclosed that Odisha recorded 32,687 crimes against women in all of 2025, compared to 18,013 cases between June and December 2024. Between January and July 2026, a further 21,069 cases were reported. Cumulatively, from June 2024 to July 2026, the state recorded a total of 71,769 crimes against women.

Context and What the Data Signals

The falling conviction rates across most categories come at a time when the volume of trials is rising — a pattern that justice reform analysts say often reflects systemic bottlenecks in investigation quality, witness protection, and prosecutorial capacity rather than a single policy failure. Notably, the POCSO improvement suggests that dedicated fast-track courts for child sexual abuse cases may be producing measurable outcomes, even as adult-survivor cases lag. This is not an Odisha-specific challenge — national-level data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has consistently shown conviction rates in rape cases below 30% across most states, but Odisha's figures remain well below even that already-low benchmark.

With 71,769 cumulative cases logged in just over two years, advocates and opposition legislators are expected to press for structural reforms — including expanded fast-track courts and strengthened legal aid — in the ongoing Assembly session.