Delhi tops crime charts among metros, vulnerable groups hit hardest

Delhi has recorded a steep rise in crime, raising serious questions about law and order in the national capital. According to latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the city ranked highest among metropolitan centres for the commission of most crimes.

Many of these incidents disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, including women, children, and senior citizens.

Delhi becomes worst metro city for vulnerable groups

Among the 19 metropolitan cities studied, Delhi registered the highest number of crimes against women in 2023, with 13,366 cases, far outpacing Mumbai (6,025) and Bengaluru (4,870).

Crimes against senior citizens totalled 1,361 in Delhi, followed by Bengaluru (649) and Mumbai (518).

The capital also recorded 7,731 cases of crimes against children, compared with Mumbai (3,110) and Bengaluru (1,982). This marked a 10% rise in three years, with 7,029 cases reported in 2021. The data further showed that minors were involved in 2,278 cases in Delhi, followed by Chennai (523) and Bengaluru (427).

Kidnapping and abduction cases were especially high in the city, with 5,681 incidents, compared to Mumbai (1,798) and Bengaluru (1,158).

Violations under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, also increased slightly, with 86 cases and 89 victims. Delhi recorded the most such cases among the 19 metros, followed distantly by Hyderabad (18) and Chennai (13).

A worrying trend emerged in the involvement of minors in crime. Delhi reported a rate of 41.1 crimes per 100,000 children, far above the national average of 7.1.

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Alarming trend of missing children

In 2023, Delhi registered 506 murder cases, leading to 524 deaths. There were also 4,405 burglaries, 1,654 robberies, 204 cases of extortion and blackmail, and 697 hit-and-run incidents.

A major concern was the number of missing children. As many as 6,284 children were reported missing, pushing the cumulative number of untraced minors to 12,324. Law enforcement agencies recovered 6,972 children during the year.

Overall, 24,623 people were reported missing in 2023, but recoveries exceeded this figure, with 29,140 individuals traced.

Delhi fares better in cybercrime cases

In contrast, the city ranked 10th in cybercrime, with Bengaluru topping the list at 17,631 cases, followed by Hyderabad (4,855) and Mumbai (4,131).

In economic offences, Delhi stood fourth with 4,580 cases, behind Mumbai (6,476), Hyderabad (5,728), and Jaipur (5,304).

Delhi’s death row roads

Delhi topped the list of 53 megacities for pedestrian crossing fatalities, with 159 deaths. Durg-Bhilai Nagar in Chhattisgarh ranked second with 115.

Two-wheelers were the biggest contributors, responsible for 622 fatal road crashes. Cars caused 327 deaths, three-wheelers 95, lorries 94, buses 34, and bicycles 78.

Data presented to the Lok Sabha by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in July 2025 showed that Delhi has over 15 million registered vehicles—roughly equal to the combined totals of Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai. Together, these four metros account for nearly 31 million vehicles.

According to the Delhi Traffic Police, speeding, poorly lit roads, defective road designs, dangerous driving, and drink-driving were major causes of fatal crashes.

Beyond road traffic, Delhi also recorded the highest number of railway accidents among the 53 megacities, with 827 of the 1,549 incidents nationwide.

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Overall crime trends

Case registrations rose by 8% in 2023 compared with 2022, and by 11% over three years.

The NCRB noted delays in releasing the annual crime, suicide, and accident statistics. In March, the Union Home Ministry told the Rajya Sabha that the delay was due to “data validation for the 2023 report being in its final stages,” with publication expected soon.

According to the NCRB, 324,257 cases under the Indian Penal Code were recorded in 2023, up from 300,429 in 2022 and 291,904 in 2021. Cases under special and local laws also increased, from 14,485 in 2021 to 20,006 in 2023.