Women unsafe, juvenile cases surge: Delhi crimes 5x higher than Mumbai, shows NCRB data

The data shows that 13,396 cases of crimes against women were registered in Delhi, while crimes against senior citizens stood at 1,267 — accounting for just over 30% of all such cases reported across the cities.

At 41.6%, Delhi recorded the highest rate of crimes committed by juveniles, far above the national average of 7.9%. A total of 1,80,973 theft cases were registered in the Capital during the year, out of 6,21,945 cases recorded across the country.

The data further shows that while 1,80,973 cases of thefts were registered in Delhi in 2024, 6,21,945 were recorded across the country during this time.

What data shows

According to the data, while crimes against senior citizens dipped marginally in Delhi – from 1,361 cases in 2023 to 1,267 in 2024 – the city continued to top the list among Metro cities. The 1,267 cases account for just over 30% of all the 4,107 crimes against senior citizens reported in Metros. The data, however, suggests that the number of such crimes has dropped in Delhi in absolute terms – it was 1,361 in 2023 and 1,313 in 2022.

“Senior citizens have been vulnerable to crimes because of isolation and inducement. Many of them, especially in upscale localities, live alone, which has made them easy targets for thefts and robberies,” said a senior police officer.

At 13,396, Delhi also recorded the most number of crimes against women in 2024 – more than a quarter of all such cases in Metros. The figure was almost the same as 2023, when the Capital saw 13,439 cases of crime against women.

Of the total cases of crime against women registered in Delhi in 2024, 1,058 were rape cases – again the highest among all Metros – with Jaipur a distant second at 497 cases. The data further shows that Delhi accounted for more than a quarter of all rape cases registered across the cities. However, of the 1,058 rape cases registered, 1,044 were found to lack “sufficient evidence”.

“It is true that compared to Metros in other parts of India, Delhi shows a higher rate of crime against women. But that is also because cases here are registered quickly, often on the basis of the first complaint. There also have been multiple fake cases of rape, which were later found to be lodged for the purpose of blackmail. But pending trial, all these cases continue to be part of official records,” said the officer.

Kidnapping and abduction cases lodged in the Capital were also the highest among the Metros, with 5,580 cases registered in 2024 – accounting for nearly 35% of all such cases. Mumbai recorded the second-highest number at 1,854.

Further, at 41.6% (2,306), Delhi recorded the highest number of crimes committed by juveniles in 2024 – a jump from 2,278 in 2023. The national average is 7.9%. Only Madhya Pradesh (3,474) and Maharashtra (3,779) reported higher numbers. While the former has a population three times that of Delhi, the latter has a population over four times that of the Capital.

Meanwhile, murders in Delhi saw a dip in 2024, but only negligible, with 504 cases registered in 2024 as compared to 506 in 2023 and 509 in 2022.

In terms of cybercrime, Delhi reported 404 cases, a marginal dip from 407 in 2023 and significantly lower than 685 cases in 2022. The rate of cybercrime in Delhi stood at 1.8%, far below the national average of 7.3%. “We have now started to arrest banking officials… As they help in opening mule accounts, the possibility of prosecution has acted as a deterrent to some extent,” said the officer.