Robberies, snatchings dip in 2022, but murders up marginally: Police

Delhi Police spokesperson Kumar Gyanesh attributed the decline in the crime graph to different reasons including series of preventive measures, surveillance on repeat offenders, community policing

Delhi reported fewer cases of rape, molestation, robbery and snatching till November 30 this year compared to 2021, data by the Delhi Police shows.

Among some of the prominent robbery incidents reported from the city so far was reported from south Delhi’s Amar Colony in November. Kulwant Kaur, 75, was murdered by a former domestic help. Police said the help murdered her after robbing the house.

A total of 1,707 robberies were reported this year as of November 30, compared to 2,333 in 2021. Snatching, often referred to as the gateway crime and one of the most prevalent in the city, also recorded a dip -- from 9,383 cases in 2021 to 7,773 this year, according to the data.

Among some of the prominent robbery incidents reported from the city so far was reported from south Delhi’s Amar Colony in November. Kulwant Kaur, 75, was murdered by a former domestic help. Police said the help murdered her after robbing the house.

“The reason why robberies and snatching have come down in the Capital is the increased police presence on the streets, and night vigil. We have been taking these measures over the years, but any step takes time to bring about a change,” said a senior police officer said who asked not to be named. He added that the police conduct regular drives to crackdown on street crime,one of the focus areas for the city police.

Remarkably, the number of rape and molestation cases have also dropped compared to last year. According to the police data, a total of 1,911 rape cases were reported during the first 11 months of this year compared to 2,067 cases during the same duration last year. Simultaneously, 2,343 cases of molestation were reported till November, fewer than 2,551 in 2021.

Motor vehicles theft cases also dropped in the city, the latest police data shows. Compared to 37,910 cases in 2021, the city reported 34,715 incidents till November 30 this year. Having the highest number of registered vehicles in the country, motor vehicle theft is among the most frequently reported crimes in the Capital.

When incidents under other heads reported a dip, cases of murder went up marginally this year. From 459 murders in 2021, cases went up to 465 cases till November 30, this year, the data shows. In November, Delhi reported one of its most grisly murder cases with the arrest of Aaftab Poonawala who killed his girlfriend Sharddha Walkar in May, chopper he body into 35 pieces, kept them in the refrigerator and dumped them at various places in south Delhi and Gurugram over two months.

Delhi Police spokesperson Kumar Gyanesh attributed the decline in the crime graph to different reasons including series of preventive measures, surveillance on repeat offenders, community policing. “Strategic surveillance and prevention is a major contributor. One of the important preventive measures is surveillance on criminals released on bail. We are also interacting with residents as well as private security guards deployed across the city who help us in detecting and preventing crime. They act as force multipliers. There is also a regular analysis of crime patterns and data which helps us plan preventive actions. For instance, if a particular area is reporting more theft cases, we immediately take measures to curb them,” he said.