Crime branch solved fewer cases this year

The Mumbai police crime branch — an elite team to handle serious offences — have solved fewer cases between January and November this than in the same period last year.

The Mumbai police crime branch — an elite team to handle serious offences — have solved fewer cases between January and November this than in the same period last year.

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Records show they solved 86 per cent of cases they probed, against last year’s 96 per cent.

Some of the cases that remain unsolved are the heist of gold and silver coins worth Rs 35 lakh from the cargo area of the airport in May, the molestation of a foreign national inside the ISKCON temple at Juhu in February and the murders of police informers Chhote Miyan and Irfan Chindi.

“Our efforts are always to detect all the cases that come to us and give our best,” said Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) Rakesh Maria.

The number of murders solved dropped from 90 per cent last year to 33 per cent this year. But the cops solved more attempted murders — 80 per cent this year, compared to 75 per cent last year — attempted robberies, robberies and day-time break-ins.

Sources said one reason behind the lower rate of solving cases could be an increase in the number of cases to solve.