With as many 1,36,234 cases registered across the country, FIRs of cruelty by husbands or relatives formed the largest chunk of cases of crimes against women in 2021, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) showed. The rate of crime against women rose a whopping 15 per cent in one year: from 56.5 per cent in 2020 to 64.5 per cent in 2021.Cases registered under section 498A of the Indian Penal Code for cruelty by husband or his relatives accounted for 31.8 per cent of the total cases. In all, as many as 4,28,278 cases were filed in 2021, up from the 3,71,503 cases filed in the same category in 2020. The report also shows that the crime rate registered per lakh women is 64.5 per cent in 2021, an increase from 56.5 per cent in 2020. Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest number of crimes against women with 56,083 cases. Assam, with a crime rate of 168.3 per cent, had the highest crime rate. Among Union Territories, Delhi had the highest number of cases (14,277) as well as the steepest crime rate (147.6 per cent) On the other hand, Nagaland had the least number of cases with 54 cases and a crime rate of 5.1 per cent.