The incidents of molestation in Bengaluru escalated from 731 in 2022 to 1,135 in 2023, marking a significant surge. The city also witnessed a total of 207 murders during the year.
As Bengaluru reflected on the past year, crime statistics indicated that the city recorded a total of 12,627 criminal offenses in 2023. Among these, vehicle thefts ranked the highest, accounting for 5,909 cases.
The detection rate for these cases has seen a decline over the past couple of years. In 2023, only 38.5% of cases were detected, compared to 45% in 2022, as reported by The Hindu. Consequently, out of the total 12,627 cases in 2023, around 3,600 were detected, according to data released by the Bengaluru City Police Department.
Here is an overview of the crime rate in Bengaluru for 2023:
| Crime | 2023 | 2022 | Increase/Decrease Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | 207 | 173 | +31% |
| Robbery | 673 | 477 | +41% |
| Molestation | 1,135 | 731 | +55% |
| Crimes against Women | 3,260 | – | – |
| Crimes against Children | 631 | 561 | +12.5% |
In terms of murder, officials disclosed that of the 207 murders in 2023, 202 were detected. The primary reasons behind these incidents were sudden provocation, illicit affairs, family issues, personal enmity, among others. Murders for gain witnessed a significant decrease to two in 2023, compared to 17 the previous year. However, “rowdy-related” murders increased to seven in 2023, as opposed to four in 2022.
For robbery cases, there were 673 reported in 2023, with 57% of them involving mobile-snatching, and chain-snatching contributing 153 cases.
Molestation cases surged from 731 in 2022 to 1,135 in 2023, with authorities attributing this increase to improved reporting practices.
Crimes against women totaled 3,260 cases, with dowry-related and cruelty by the husband and his relatives being predominant, accounting for 1,007 cases. Rape cases stood at 176, of which 115 were related to promises of love or marriage. Additionally, 161 cases were booked under the Immoral Trafficking Act.
Regarding crimes against children, there were a total of 631 cases in 2023, with 560 filed under the POCSO Act, significantly higher than the 480 cases registered in 2022. This included six child marriage cases, four child labor cases, and 40 cases under the Juvenile Justice Act.
