'Crimes against women fall 5.7%, but still worst in India'

Despite the drop in reported crime against women, overall criminal cases rose

- Jignasa Sinha and Aaditya Khatwani

The number of reported crimes against women in Delhi dipped by 5.7% in 2023 compared to the preceding year, even as overall criminal cases in the city surged by 7.5% in the same period, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) “Crime in India 2023” report released on Monday.

Despite the decline in crime against women, Delhi retained the grim distinction of being the most unsafe “mega city” for women for the third consecutive year, the report showed. A total of 13,366 crimes against women were reported in the national capital last year ~ more than double the figures of Mumbai (6,025) and Bengaluru (4,870), the next two cities on the list. NCRB defines “mega cities” as those with populations exceeding two million.

Crimes against women

Despite the relative drop in number, the NCRB report underscored Delhi’s notorious distinction of being unsafe for women.