Delhi - the undisputed leader in crime

Home > India > Article

The major metropolitan cities in India seem to be gripped in a crime wave, the urban areas are not only the major industrial capitals but also the centres where crime flourishes. Five years in a row, Delhi has been crowned the leader in crime!

CJ: Devesh

Thu, Jan 10, 2008 13:24:08 IST

Views:
2335
Comments:
0

Rate:

4.17 / 6 votes

DELHI, MUMBAI and Bangalore account for one out of every three crimes in cities with a million-plus population. And Delhi, our national capital, is the crime capital too, having topped the list of the number of reported crime cases for five years in a row. Among the 35 major cities in India whose crimes were considered, Delhi seems to have become the undisputed leader in crime in India.

With the growing development of the capital, even crime seems to have increased at a similar rate. The national capital occupies the top slot for almost all violent crimes, including murder, rape, dowry death, molestation, kidnapping and abduction. Delhi seems to have become the next destination of underworld and terrorists, after Mumbai.

The figures listed below take into account only the registered cases with the Delhi police. There are also several cases that go unreported. A whopping 53,244 criminal cases – including 467 murders, 581 rapes, 1764 dacoity and other heinous crimes – were registered in the city during the year, according to Delhi police annual crime statistics. The 467 murders in 2007 meant Delhi registered more killings than the previous year. The cases of attempted murders also rose by 1.22 percent in 2007 from 493 to 499.

It is cyber crimes that have become the new nemesis for the Delhi police. The cyber crimes have grown by an astonishing 200 per cent in the last one year. The increase of credit card frauds has grown five times. Twenty-five cases of infringement of intellectual property rights were registered in 2007, in which 45 people were arrested. The police also seized various products worth about Rs 2.67 crore.

Of the people arrested in rape cases, 340 were neighbours, 94 were friends and 62 were relatives. Only in ten cases, the accused were strangers. It goes on to show that the women seem to be under threat from close ones and known faces.

Terrorism has been a major area of concern and in 2006 sleuths of special cell had apprehended several militants belonging to various terror outfits, including Lashker-e-Taiba and Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islamia (Huji). Nineteen militants aiming to strike terror in the capital were arrested and four killed during 2007, adding that 9.6 kg RDX was recovered during various operations. The militants included members from Lashker-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Huji.

But, there were some positives as well which could be considered. The cases of kidnapping and riots seem to have gone down. The Delhi police have a cent percent rate in solving the kidnapping cases. The number of crimes though the highest in India, have gone down by 3.41 per cent, as compared to 2006. But, still the political capital remains the crime capital of India. And, the streets of Delhi cannot really be considered safe for a midnight stroll!

E-mail |