Mumbai ranked third for murder FIRs among metros last year, according to National Crime Records Bureau records. The city recorded 135 murder cases in 2022, behind Bengaluru (173) and Delhi (501), the NCRB data showed on Monday.
Mumbai-specific analysis revealed that 63 murder FIRs were related to disputes, 22 to personal vendetta or enmity, seven to love affairs, six to dacoity / robbery and five cases related to murders committed for personal gain.
High scores in murders
Uttar Pradesh saw the highest number of such FIRs at 3,491 in 2022 followed by Bihar (2,930), Maharashtra (2,295), Madhya Pradesh (1,978) and Rajasthan (1,834), with the top five states together accounting for 43.92% of murder cases in the country, the data showed.
The analysis of the motives behind the cases in Maharashtra revealed that most murders were committed over various kinds of disputes, followed by cases of illicit relationships, personal vendetta and love affairs.
The top five states with the least number of murder cases in 2022 were Sikkim (nine), Nagaland (21), Mizoram (31), Goa (44), and Manipur (47), according to the NCRB, which is tasked with collection and analysis of crime data.
How much did the UTs score
Among Union Territories, Delhi, the national capital, registered 509 cases of murder in 2022 followed by Jammu and Kashmir (99), Puducherry (30), Chandigarh (18), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (16), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (seven), Ladakh (five) and Lakshadweep (Zero).
Across India in 2022, the murder rate was highest in Jharkhand (four), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (3.6), Chhattisgarh and Haryana (both 3.4), Assam and Odisha (both three). Uttar Pradesh (1.5), Bihar (2.3), Maharashtra (1.8), Madhya Pradesh (2.3) and Rajasthan (2.3) fared better in terms of crime per 100,000 population.
Demographics
In terms of age, 95.4% victims were adults. Of total murder victims, 8,125 were female and nine third-gender persons, with men constituting about 70% of victims, according to the NCRB.
A total of 28,522 FIRs of murder were registered in 2022 – an average of 78 killings every day or more than three every hour – across India, down from 29,272 in 2021 and 29,193 in 2020, according to the data.
In a note of caution about the annual report, the NCRB said the primary presumption that the upward swing in police data indicated an increase in crime and thus a reflection of the ineffectiveness of the police was fallacious.
Rise in crime Vs increase in registration of crime
“‘Rise in crime’ and ‘increase in registration of crime by police’ are clearly two different things, a fact that requires better understanding. Thus an oft-repeated expectation from certain quarters that an effective police administration will be able to keep the crime figures low is misplaced,” it stated.
“Increase in crime numbers in state police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen-centric police initiatives, like launching of e-FIR facility or women help-desks, etc. The increase or decrease in crime numbers, however, does call for a professional investigation of underlying factors pertaining to the local communities to suitably address the pertinent issues,” it added.
78: Average number of killings across India every day, more than three every hour
Number of FIRs
2022: 28,522
2021: 29,272
2020: 29,193
State figures (2022)
UP: 3,491
Bihar: 2,930
Maharashtra: 2,295
City figures (2022)
Delhi: 501
Bengaluru: 173
Mumbai: 135
