Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar Rebuts NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule's Claims, Says Crime Has Declined In City

Pune: Pune City Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar has written to MP Supriya Sule, rejecting allegations that crime is rising in the city and defending the police force's performance with crime statistics and details of recent enforcement actions.

The letter comes days after Sule criticised the Pune Police and demanded action against the police commissioner, citing rising crime and recent incidents, including the toxic liquor tragedy.

‘Pune Has Shown A Declining Trend In Crime’

In his response, Kumar said crime in Pune has shown a declining trend over the past three years. He stated that comparing the period between January 1 and May 31, 2025, with January 1 and May 27, 2026, several major crimes recorded a decline.

According to the police data shared in the letter, attempt-to-murder cases fell by 27%, robbery cases by 36%, chain snatching by 56%, house burglaries by 14%, thefts by 24%, and vehicle thefts by 28%. Assault cases dropped by 3%, rape cases by 7%, and molestation cases by 1%.

‘Perception Was Created’

The commissioner said five serious incidents that occurred within a span of ten days in May created a perception that crime was increasing. However, he maintained that the first four months of 2026 had remained largely peaceful.

Kumar said Pune Police immediately intensified combing operations and night patrols after the incidents. He also highlighted several cases where timely police intervention helped save victims' lives, including a recent shooting case and an attack in which an autorickshaw driver was allegedly pushed off a bridge.

Rejecting claims that Pune is among the country's most crime-prone cities, Kumar cited National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. According to the figures mentioned in the letter, Pune ranks 18th among 19 metropolitan cities in overall cognisable crimes and 15th in IPC/BNS offences. He said describing Pune as the "crime capital" is factually incorrect.

Police Chief Cites Action Taken In His Tenure…

The commissioner also highlighted action against organised crime. He said most major gangs operating in Pune have been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), with several gang members currently in jail. He pointed to a recent gang-related attempt-to-murder case in which all six accused were arrested within ten hours.

The letter further detailed anti-drug operations carried out by Pune Police. Kumar stated that more than 500 offenders have been booked under the NDPS Act over the past two years, and narcotics worth more than ₹20 crore have been seized. He also referred to the exposure of an international drug syndicate in 2024 that led to the seizure and destruction of drugs worth around ₹3,700 crore.

Addressing the recent toxic liquor tragedy, Kumar termed it a serious and unfortunate incident. He informed Sule that a senior police inspector and two other officers had been suspended and all the accused had been arrested. He added that more than 1,000 actions against illegal liquor sellers have been carried out in 2026, and properties worth over ₹1 crore have been seized.

Amitesh Kumar Dismisses Social Media Claims…

The commissioner also dismissed social media claims of a "lockdown" in Pune. He clarified that the notification issued before Bakri Eid under Section 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act was a routine law-and-order measure and had been wrongly portrayed on social media.

On women's safety, Kumar said Pune Police has recovered more than 97% of missing minor children and has strengthened surveillance through AI-based CCTV cameras, emergency call boxes, floodlights and other safety infrastructure.

He also highlighted ongoing modernisation projects, including the Pune Safe City Surveillance Project with 2,800 CCTV cameras, AI-powered surveillance vehicles, drones and an integrated command and control centre. According to the commissioner, the average response time to Dial-112 emergency calls is around eight minutes.

Concluding the letter, Kumar said Pune Police welcomes constructive criticism but warned that inaccurate narratives could damage public confidence and demoralise police personnel. He urged citizens and public representatives to work together with law enforcement to maintain peace and safety in the city.