Pune: The city witnessed a sharp rise in violent crimes in 2024 compared to the previous two years, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released on Wednesday.Though Pune’s case figures remained lower than some major metro cities, the increase has raised concerns over growing incidents of serious crime. The data showed that Pune recorded 3,573 cases of violent crimes in 2024, up significantly from 2,296 cases in 2023 and 2,417 in 2022.Violent crimes, according to NCRB, include 17 different types of offences, such as murder, attempt to murder, causing hurt or grievous hurt, rioting, arson, kidnapping and abduction, robbery, rape, etc. Experts said a majority of these offences fall under the category of crimes against the human body (bodily offences), and such incidents tend to rise when the fear of law and strict punishment declines.Among metro cities with a population of over 20 lakh, Mumbai recorded the highest number of cases related to causing hurt and grievous hurt registered under sections 117 to 132 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and sections 325 to 338 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), with 4,797 cases. Pune ranked second, with 3,624 such cases, while Bengaluru, which stood third, recorded 2,693 cases.Lawyer Asim Sarode said several factors contribute to the rise in violent crime, including the model of development being promoted in society, increasing centralisation of sectors such as education and economic growth hubs, and challenges related to maintaining law and order.“Political protection to criminals, selective implementation of the law and action only against certain individuals are among the key reasons behind the rise in crime. When offenders do not face strict action, they tend to repeat crimes, and this eventually leads to declining respect for the police in society,” he said.
