Murders during robbery maximum in delhi: NCRB
Data shows at least 24 people were killed over robberies in Delhi, more than the combined number in 18 other cities with population of over two million
Crimogenic factors, such as dense, heterogeneous population, income disparity, unemployment and porous borders are main causes for such incidents in Delhi. ANIL MITTAL, additional PRO, Delhi Police
NEW DELHI : More persons were killed in Delhi during robberies in 2017 and 2018 than in all other 18 Indian cities that have a population of over two million, shows data by the National Crime Records Bureau.
Moreover, the number of murders during robberies in the national capital went up by 300% from 2016 to 2018, a period in which the Delhi Police’s data shows a decline in robbery cases by 48%.
In 2018, at least 24 people were killed over robberies in Delhi. During the same period in other cities, the combined number of murders over the same offence stood at 18. Kolkata was at the second spot with three such murders.
This was the year when a cashier was gunned down during a bank robbery in west Delhi’s Dwarka district, a 22-year-old man was stabbed to death during a robbery bid in a public park in south Delhi’s Govindpuri and a cash van guard was shot dead in outer Delhi’s Narela.
NOT VERY DIFFERENT IN 2017
The situation wasn’t very different in 2017 either when 20 murders over robberies were reported in Delhi. In other cities, the combined figure stood at 20 with Indore standing second with four such murders.
The year had seen three minor boys killing a man for resisting a robbery on the Sarai Rohilla flyover in north Delhi and a fashion designer and a her domestic help murdered at her home in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj during a robbery.
In 2016, however, only six murders over robberies were reported, fewer than the other cities where 10 such killings took place.
Yet, individually, Delhi remained way ahead as the city with the second most such murders was Ahmedabad with three cases.
‘WE SOLVED MOST CASES’
Responding to the data, the Delhi Police said that they have worked out majority of these cases. “We solved 22, 18 and five of these cases in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively,” said Anil Mittal, additional PRO of Delhi Police.
“The topography and crimogenic factors like dense and heterogeneous population, income disparity, unemployment, unplanned urbanisation and porous borders are main causes for such incidents in Delhi,” said Mittal.
“Delhi Police have made sustained efforts to crack down syndicates of gunrunners and hardcore criminals involved in such type of crimes, resulting in a steady decline of use of firearms in crime,” said Mittal, adding that the use of firearms in these crimes dipped 15%, from 951 to 810 in the corresponding period.
COMPETES WITH OTHER STATES AS WELL
Killing during robberies is among those few motives for murders which the Delhi Police usually don’t attribute to personal enmity or a crime of passion.
Robbery is a crime that the police classify as ‘heinous’ since weapons or force of any kind is used for stealing.
But it has been on a constant decline, the Delhi Police insist, sharing data that shows that robberies dipped from 4,761 in 2016 to 2,444 in 2018. ‘DESPERATION TO BLAME’
Vikram Singh, former DGP of Uttar Pradesh, blamed the “desperation” of the criminals to avoid detection, as well as the police’s failure to prevent criminals from carrying weapons for the situation in Delhi.
“The criminals in Delhi understand that they may not be able to enjoy the loot if they leave behind any evidence, so a few of them kill their victims. But most often, they are just desperate to rob what they set their eyes on and are not ready to accept any resistance,” said Singh.
As to why Delhi fared so poorly compared to other cities, the former DGP said that the police have been unable to rein in the criminals on the streets and stop them from carrying weapons.
Till November 15 last year, there were 1,751 robberies reported in Delhi, a 17% decrease from the corresponding figure the previous year. While the number of murders over robberies last year (2019) is yet to be revealed, many such cases were reported from the city. In September, CCTV footage showed a man getting stabbed to death by a gang of robbers in west Delhi’s Sagarpur. More recently, on the eve of Christmas, a pedestrian was stabbed to death by another gang of robbers in Dabri. In June, an elderly couple and their domestic help were killed at their Vasant Vihar during a robbery bid.