Delhi saw uptick in crimes in 1st 10 months of this year

Snatching, one of the most common street crimes across the city, have also increased from 6,318 in 2020 to 7,504 this year, the data showed

New Delhi: The number of crimes registered in the Capital in the first 10 months of this year rose nearly 17% compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Delhi Police.

Almost all heinous crimes, such as robbery, snatching, attempt to murder, dacoity, crimes against women and vehicle thefts, saw a sharp increase. (HT File)

The total number of crimes increased from 206,978 till October 31 last year to 241,550 in the comparative period this year. Almost all heinous crimes, such as robbery, snatching, attempt to murder, dacoity, crimes against women and vehicle thefts, saw a sharp increase.

For example, there were 480 cases of attempted murder until October 31 last year, which increased to 640 during the same period this year.

Robbery cases too increased from 1,606 to 1,829, and dacoity from 8 to 20 cases, in the comparative period. Robbery and dacoity cases are filed under different sections -- under the Indian Penal Code, a case of dacoity is filed when there are more than five persons involved in a robbery.

Among the major robbery incidents reported in the Capital are a robbery at an ATM kiosk in south Delhi’s CR Park on October 29 where a security guard was assaulted and tied up before the thieves fled with the cash tray; and another in which a family was held hostage by four gunmen inside their house in Uttam Nagar on July 7.

Recently, a 22-year-old woman was injured when she fell off from a moving cycle rickshaw while trying to fight off two bike-borne men who tried to snatch her phone on a busy road in northeast Delhi’s Dilshad Garden on November 2.

Less than week before this incident, two women and the driver of an autorickshaw they were travelling were injured when the vehicle overturned after two bikers attempted to snatch one of the passenger’s cellphone. A 22-year-old electrician was also stabbed to death in central Delhi’s west Patel Nagar by eight men during a snatching bid.

Kidnapping for ransom cases increased from 10 to 15. Police registered 1,429 till October 31 last year, which increased to 1,725 cases in the same period this year.

On August 1, the alleged rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl by a priest and his three accomplices had led to many citizens coming out on the streets to highlight how the national capital is still unsafe for women.

Last week, a 23-year-old woman was left critically injured and fighting for her life after her 26-year-old neighbour allegedly tied up her up and threw acid on her at his home in outer Delhi’s Bawana on the eve of Diwali (November 3).

The number of murder and rioting cases, however, decreased this year.

Murder cases dropped from 393 until October 31 last year, to 379 this year. Also, in the same comparative period, rioting cases dropped from 688 last year to 58 this year.

To be sure, the number of rioting and murders cases was high last year because of the northeast Delhi riots in February 2020 -- at least 53 people died and 775 rioting cases were registered in just northeast Delhi during the riots.

A shocking crime that made national headlines in recent months was the murder of top gangster Jitender Gogi inside the Rohini court complex during a court hearing on September 24. He was shot dead by two gunmen who posed as lawyers to gain entry to the courtroom.

Deputy commissioner of police Chinmoy Biswal, who is also the Delhi Police spokesperson, said, “The increase in cases does not necessarily mean that crime has increased. It rather shows that Delhi Police believes in free and fair registration of cases. We have launched a big crackdown on street crime. The large number of criminals police arrest every day is a result of the vision given to the police stations that criminals should be off the streets. Through several operations, police have an upper hand over the criminals