India's Violent Crime Cases Fall 29% In A Decade, Riots Down 40%: Data

Violent crime in India has recorded a decisive decline over the past decade, with official data showing a significant drop across key categories, including rape, dowry deaths, riots and murders. The findings, drawn from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), point to a sharp turnaround in India's law and order landscape since 2014.

Overall, the total number of violent crimes across these four categories fell by 29 per cent, from 1.45 lakh cases in 2014 to 1.02 lakh cases in 2023. The 2023 figure is even lower than the 1.18 lakh cases recorded in 2004, highlighting sustained improvement over a 20-year period.

Sharp Decline In Crimes Against Women

The NCRB data shows particularly encouraging trends in crimes against women.

Rape cases, which had nearly doubled between 2004 and 2014, have declined from 36,735 in 2014 to 29,670 in 2023, a 19 per cent fall.

Dowry deaths, once a major area of concern, have reduced from 8,455 cases in 2014 to 6,156 in 2023, marking a 27 per cent drop - the sharpest among the four violent crime categories.

Murders And Riots Also Down

Other forms of violent crime have also shown a marked decline. Riots have fallen 40 per cent, from 66,042 cases in 2014 to 39,260 in 2023. Murders have declined 18 per cent, from 33,981 to 27,721, during the same period.

Policing And Legal Reforms Drive Change

Officials attribute the turnaround to sustained efforts to modernise policing and strengthen internal security.

The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) now connects 17,712 police stations and provides access to over 35 crore crime records across the country.

Under the Police Modernisation Scheme, Rs 4,846 crore has been allocated since 2021 to upgrade communication systems, surveillance tools and weaponry.

New criminal laws have also introduced stricter provisions and time-bound investigations, including a dedicated chapter of 37 sections focused on crimes against women and children.