-M.A.Yousuf (Editor in chief): Recent remarks by Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), accused India of involvement in a train hijacking incident in Balochistan. However, these claims remain unverified and have not been substantiated by independent international investigations. They have, however, reignited discussions around regional security and the challenges of addressing transnational crime in South Asia.
Understanding Crime in India: Facts and Figures
Labeling India a “crime hub” is a significant overgeneralization. While some cities and states report higher crime rates, India ranks 79th globally in terms of crime rate, according to independent crime indices. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) remains the most credible and systematic source for crime data in India, releasing annual reports that provide regional and national-level insights.
The NCRB’s 2022 report, released on December 6, 2023, uses crime rate per 100,000 people as a standard measure, allowing fair comparisons across regions.
According to the report:
- India’s 19 metropolitan cities, representing 8.12% of the population, accounted for 14.65% of all cognizable crimes.
- These areas also reported 10.29% of all cases under Special and Local Laws (SLL), consistent with trends in urban criminology which show that urban centers attract higher crime due to anonymity, income inequality, and mobility.
City-Level Crime Rates
Delhi recorded the highest crime rate among major Indian cities at 1,832.6 per 100,000, more than three times the metro city average (544). Other high-crime cities included:
- Jaipur (916.7)
- Indore (767.7)
- Kochi (626.7)
- Patna (611.7)
In contrast, Kolkata reported the lowest crime rate at 78.2, marking it as one of the safest metros in India.
Cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Surat, and Pune had significantly lower crime rates, possibly reflecting effective local governance or community engagement.
Violent Crime Patterns
- Patna had the highest metro murder rate in 2022 (5.2 per 100,000), followed by Lucknow (4.5) and Jaipur (4.3).
- Cities like Kolkata (0.2), Kozhikode (0.3), and Mumbai (0.7) had the lowest murder rates.
- Delhi (34.2) led in kidnapping cases, followed by Patna (32.4) and Indore (31.1).
- Some cities, such as Patna, Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Kanpur, reported zero crimes against senior citizens, suggesting potential regional protective factors or underreporting.
Gender and Child-Centric Crimes
- Crimes against women rose 12.3% in 2022.
- Jaipur (239.3), Delhi (186.9), and Lucknow (161.4) had the highest rates.
- Coimbatore (12.9), Chennai (17.1), and Kolkata (27.8) were the most women-friendly metros.
Crimes against children were most reported in:
- Delhi (7,400 cases)
- Mumbai (3,178)
- Bengaluru (1,578)
Economic crimes and cybercrimes rose by 15.8% and 42.7%, respectively. However, conviction rates remain low:
- 42.5% for murder
- 17.9% for rape
- 38.6% for kidnapping and abduction
Rural vs. Urban Crime Trends
While 12 metros reported crime rates exceeding their state averages (e.g., Jaipur, Indore, Patna), six others (e.g., Kolkata, Chennai, Pune) reported lower crime rates. This contradicts the notion that all major cities inherently have higher crime.
Challenges persist, including:
- Underreporting, due to stigma or deliberate non-registration (known as burking).
- The use of the “principal offence rule”, where only the gravest crime in a case is recorded—potentially underrepresenting multi-faceted criminal incidents.
Regional Hotspots and Specific Offences (2021 Data)
- Jharkhand had the highest murder rate.
- Rajasthan led in rape cases.
- Delhi topped in kidnapping and robbery.
- Punjab had the most drug trafficking cases.
- Uttar Pradesh led in illegal arms seizures.
Eastern and northeastern states—such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and Jharkhand—exceeded national averages in violent crime.
Cross-Border Crime Considerations: Bangladesh Context
There have been concerns about cross-border crimes between India and Bangladesh, often linked to migration, smuggling, and cybercrime. While some media reports have suggested the involvement of Indian nationals in crimes in Bangladesh, these claims require cautious scrutiny and independent verification.
The newly elected Bangladeshi government has committed to cracking down on crime, including undocumented migration, drug trafficking, and cyber-related offences. However, the extent of Indian involvement in such activities remains largely anecdotal and not supported by verified data.
The Road Ahead
India’s crime tracking infrastructure needs strengthening through:
- Expanded urban crime mapping
- Digitization of police records
- Independent audits of crime data
Incorporating all 69 police commissionerates, beyond the current 19 metros, could offer a more complete and actionable understanding of crime across urban India.
As South Asia continues to urbanize and digitize, enhanced regional cooperation and accurate data will be key to tackling emerging threats and ensuring citizen safety.
United Nation Human Rights
UN experts urge corrective action to protect human rights and end attacks against minorities in lead up to elections:
UN human rights experts, sounded the alarm over reports of attacks on minorities, media and civil society in India and called for urgent corrective action as the country prepares to hold elections in early 2024. “We are alarmed by continuing reports of attacks on religious, racial and ethnic minorities, on women and girls on intersecting grounds, and on civil society, including human rights defenders and the media,” the UN experts said, expressing concern that the situation is likely to worsen in the coming months ahead of national elections.
BBC
Of the six million crimes that police in India recorded between 1 January and 31 December last year, 428,278 cases involved crimes against women. It’s a rise of 26.35% over six years – from 338,954 cases in 2016. A majority of the cases in 2021, the report said, were of kidnappings and abduction, rapes, domestic violence, dowry deaths and assaults.
Last year, police recorded 31,878 rapes – the numbers show a steep rise from the previous year (28,153), but compared to the 39,068 women who were raped in 2016, they show a decline of 18%.With tens of thousands of rape cases reported annually, India has earned the moniker “the rape capital of the world”.
Widespread Incidents of Visa Fraud and Scams Involving Indian Nationals
There are hundreds of documented cases of fraud and scams involving Indian nationals around the world, including in Australia. Many of these incidents go unnoticed by the public. Below are some significant examples that have attracted media and governmental attention:
Australia: Student Visa Fraud and Policy Crackdown
In response to a surge in student visa fraud, several Australian universities have imposed restrictions on students from specific Indian states, including Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. These measures follow a sharp rise in visa refusal rates due to concerns over forged documents and non-genuine student applications.
- Rejection Rate Increase: The Department of Home Affairs reported that visa rejections from India have risen to 24.3%—the highest since 2012—up from 12.5% in 2019.
- University Actions: Institutions in Victoria and New South Wales have suspended recruitment from high-risk regions. Western Sydney University stated that the decision, though difficult, was essential to maintain the integrity of its international student program.
- Government Measures: The federal government has introduced caps on international student enrolments and stricter English proficiency requirements to curb fraud and control migration.
A notable example includes the cancellation of Willows Institute’s registration in June 2024 following reports of non-compliance and fraud.
Organized Marriage Scams and Criminal Prosecutions
The Australian High Commission has issued warnings to Indian nationals about contrived marriage scams aimed at securing permanent residency. The Australian Border Force dismantled a syndicate in Sydney, with a 32-year-old Indian national charged with organizing fake marriages under Section 240 of the Migration Act 1958, which carries penalties of up to $210,000 and/or 10 years in prison.
Money Laundering and Financial Crimes
In October 2023, an Indian national was sentenced by the Downing Centre District Court for three counts of money laundering. Australian police have reported numerous cases where scammers exploit trust in authorities, causing severe financial losses to victims.
Espionage and Intelligence Concerns
India’s intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been linked to multiple controversial activities abroad:
- Australia: ASIO disrupted a “nest of spies” in 2020 involving Indian intelligence officers allegedly trying to obtain classified information on defense and trade. Two RAW agents were expelled.
- Bangladesh: Reports suggest Indian RAW and military involvement in covert operations, enforced disappearances, and suppression of student protestors under the Awami government.
- United States: A former Indian intelligence officer was charged for orchestrating a failed assassination plot against a Sikh separatist leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in New York.
Global Fraud Cases Involving Indian Nationals
- Belgium: Billionaire jeweller Mehul Choksi was arrested over allegations of defrauding Punjab National Bank of nearly $1.8 billion, alongside his nephew Nirav Modi, who is awaiting extradition from the UK.
- United Kingdom: An Indian couple was sentenced to 10 years for masterminding a large-scale immigration scam. They laundered over £466,000 and aided multiple individuals in unlawfully remaining in the UK.
- Canada: Around 20,000 Indian students have gone missing from their registered colleges. Investigations reveal that many were misled by fraudulent institutions or misused their student visas to seek employment instead of pursuing education.
Dodgy Colleges and Bogus Documentation in Australia
Authorities in Australia have identified and shut down around 150 “ghost colleges” and issued warnings to another 140. These institutions, often part of larger visa fraud networks, facilitated fake enrolments, allowing students to work full-time and seek residency fraudulently.
- Case Example: Kirshnakumar Singh Zala, who arrived in 2005 as an international student, was deported in January 2024 after it was discovered that he submitted a bogus document in a prior visa application.
- Wider Admission: Numerous students and migration agents have openly admitted to exploiting the system through dodgy educational institutions for the primary purpose of work and eventual permanent residency.
These incidents highlight systemic issues in migration, education, and intelligence sectors involving individuals and networks originating from India. While not representative of the broader community, these cases underline the importance of stricter oversight, international cooperation, and robust legal enforcement to protect institutional integrity and public trust.