Panchkula: The Sector 21 murder of a 72-year-old woman has once again brought the focus back on crime in Panchkula, with police data showing that 11 murders were reported in the district in the first six months of this year alone.Data obtained under the RTI Act reveal that between Jan 1 and June 30, Panchkula recorded 11 murder cases. Of these, four cases had been solved with the arrest of 26 accused till June 30, while investigations in the remaining seven cases were still in progress.In comparison, the district recorded 18 murders during the entire year of 2025, with police solving 13 cases and arresting 34 accused. Fifteen murder cases were registered in 2024, eight in 2023 and 13 in 2022. Police records show that all murder cases registered in 2022 and 2023 were solved, while 14 of the 15 cases reported in 2024 were cracked.If the trend witnessed during the first half of 2026 continues, Panchkula could surpass the five-year high of 18 murder cases recorded in 2025.Expressing concern over the situation, Rakesh Agarwal, a member of Panchkula Vikas Manch, said residents were increasingly worried about safety and security.“People are scared and have little expectation from the police. Crimes of all kinds are increasing. Residents should ensure proper verification of domestic helps and other workers, which itself acts as a deterrent. The police need to strengthen patrolling and improve overall policing. The force strength should be increased as many personnel remain occupied with VIP duties. CCTV cameras should be installed on every road to help identify offenders and prevent their escape,” he said.Responding to the concerns, deputy commissioner of police (crime and traffic) Amrinder Singh said several measures had been initiated to strengthen policing and improve response mechanisms.“We are working to strengthen the overall policing structure. Checkpoints have been established at the city’s entry and exit points, where India Reserve Battalion personnel are deployed. Internal WhatsApp groups have been created to improve communication. Emergency Response Vehicles and police riders have been linked directly to the control room, and the response time of Quick Reaction Teams has improved. We are also planning mock drills. Earlier, we identified 90 crime-prone spots and facilitated the installation of CCTV cameras there,” he told TOI.Data:2026 (Jan 1-June 30): 112025 (Jan 1-December 31): 182024: 152023: 82022: 13
