Mumbai: While crime remains a major concern, nabbing culprits is another pressing issue. Hence, the detection rate – meaning how many cases of a particular offence the police are able to crack – becomes significant. However, experts have raised eyebrows over the current statistics, citing its “inconsistency” with previous data.

Released by the Mumbai police, the statistics for January and February reveal varying detection rates across different types of crimes. While the detection rates for murder and robbery remain high, challenges persist in tackling offences like theft and housebreaking.

A breakdown of the data shows that extortion cases were more prevalent, with 44 reported and 30 solved. Housebreaking emerged as a major concern, with 181 cases and only 95 detections. Thefts were alarmingly high, with 932 cases reported and just 296 cracked. Motor vehicle thefts also posed a challenge, with 363 cases and 140 detections. As per the data, there were 168 rapes and 421 molestation cases, with 135 and 368 being detected, respectively.

Between January and February, 19 murders were reported, with 17 detected, while murder attempt offences at 45, with two remaining unsolved. There were 46 robbery cases and 19 that of chain snatching, with 45 and 15 being detected, respectively.

In the entire 2024, Mumbai recorded 107 murder cases (103 detected), 303 attempted murders (298), 199 extortion (177), 474 robberies (455), 116 chain snatching (104), 1,307 housebreaking (778) and 2,589 vehicle thefts (1,450). Similarly, last year saw 1,051 rape cases (983 detected), 2,397 molestation offences (2,268) and 8,262 thefts (2,741).

Activist Kamlakar Shenoy said, “The police, Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the Economic Offences Wing are fabricating reports. They do not maintain proper registers.” Most of the cases, especially that of corruption, are not traceable and it's similar with other departments, he added. “This is called the burking of offences, which amounts to the manipulation of public records,” Shenoy said.

He continued, “The department always wants to window-dress rather than show the factual position of the crime. Such misrepresentations or incorrect figures will prevent the policy-makers from drafting a correct policy.”

Therefore, those who are presenting these incorrect figures are committing a grave offence against the nation and are liable to be prosecuted, the activist asserted.

State's former director general of police Praveen Dixit said that the rise in reporting cases of crimes against women should be a “welcome step as there is a tendency not to report these due to shame, influence or lure”.

He added, “What needs to be focused on are undetected murders, while chain snatching and robberies can be prevented by vigorous patrolling.” Dixit also batted for implementing the police mitra scheme, which bridges the gap between the cops and citizens.