The capital, it appears, has become less safe than it was last year. More rape and murder cases have been reported in the first three months of 2018 than in the same period in 2017. One hundred and thirty murders have been committed till March 31 this year against 127 last year and rape has gone up from 467 cases to 487 in the corresponding period.
The spike in crime figures this year – six cases of kidnapping for ransom have been registered against five in 2017, and the number of vehicle thefts have increased from 9,448 cases to 10,130 – also coincides with the piling up of unsolved cases. Of 38,919 crimes reported this January and February, Delhi Police have cracked only 21% of the cases.
However, incidents of snatching have dipped to 1,507 from 2,222 last year and that of burglaries from 3,628 to just 1,179. Fatal accidents, which had showed a dip in the past few years, rose from 354 to 369 this year with highways turning into dark spots due to construction activities. Other accidents, however, dipped from 1,338 to 1,242 in 2018.
The steady rise in crime figures this year is in stark contrast to those of 2017 where they had remained in check throughout the year.
The rise in crimes also coincides with piling up of unsolved cases. Of the 38,919 crimes reported in the first two months, Delhi Police has failed to solve 30,480 cases. Overall, only 21% of crimes were solved till February. However, burglaries have shown a massive decline this year. While 3,628 cases of burglaries were registered till March 31, 2017, the figure this year is 1,179. Till February 15, the burglary figures stood at 2,028 in 2017 and 677 in 2018. Dacoity, a crime that has been kept in check over the years, reduced from 15 cases in 2017 to three this year. Cases of molestation of women also showed a dip from 781 to 722 in 2018, while cases of outraging the modesty of women dipped from 155 to 153.
