As per the data released on Monday by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the national capital Delhi has steadily increased crime rate. In the year 2023, the cases registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Delhi saw an increase of about 8%, which increased to 3.23 lakhs from 2.98 lakh cases in 2022. According to NCRB data, Delhi is at the top of the highest number of crime cases under IPC in 19 metropolitan cities of the country. Registration of 3.23 lakh cases means that about 1,983.1 offenses were committed per lakh population in the city.
Crime Rate (Population per lakh) Delhi: ∼1,983.1
Violent crime and charge sheet rate
Although overall crime has increased, there was a slight decline in violent crimes in 2023. The number was 11,014 in 2023 compared to 11,369 cases recorded in 2022.
Major data of violent crimes (2023):
Murder: Around 500 cases
Murder attempt: 753 cases
Kidnapping and Decision: 5,681 cases
Robbery: 1,644 cases
Murder cases increased from 501 in 2022 to 503 cases in 2023. Police officials said that most of the murders were angry and they were often caused due to personal enmity/controversy, illegal relations, love affair, robbery/robbery or monetary dispute. Police say many cases were caused by sudden provocation and some were also drunk. The worrying thing is that the rate of filing chargesheets in all metros was the lowest in Delhi, which was only 28.7 percent. This shows that the process of bringing criminals to the dock in proportion to the number of crimes is slow.
Heavy bounce in cases of theft and crime against senior citizens
Delhi was also at the forefront of theft, where more than two lakh cases were registered in 2023. Around 40,000 cases of theft of motor vehicle (MV) alone were reported. Police officials have explained a reason for the increase in cases of theft to the online e-FIR system. “It is easy and accessible, so sometimes, people from other states also file a case of online theft or MV Act, which increases the number.”
The data also saw a worrying increase in crime against senior citizens.
2022: 1,313 cases
2023: 1,361 cases
Delhi Police has a dedicated senior citizen cell in every police station, who conducts a weekly investigation of the elderly living alone. However, despite these efforts, the increasing number of crimes against senior citizens highlights the city’s security challenges.
