BENGALURU: Bengaluru has emerged as the third most violent metro in India, after Delhi and Mumbai, according to the Crime in India 2023 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The city recorded 3,528 violent crimes last year, compared with 11,014 in Delhi, 4,750 in Mumbai, 1,483 in Hyderabad, 973 in Chennai, and 919 in Kolkata. Violent crimes include murder, rape, kidnapping and abduction, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, arson and rioting — offences often used as benchmarks for urban safety.
While Delhi and Mumbai still top the charts, Bengaluru has shown the sharpest surge, with violent crime rising 47% between 2021 and 2023, underscoring the pressures of rapid urban expansion.
City crime profile
- Murders: 219 in Bengaluru (Delhi 500, Mumbai 300, Chennai 132, Hyderabad 148)
- Rapes: 277 (Delhi 1,210; Chennai 98; Hyderabad 164)
- Kidnapping/abduction: 1,089 (Delhi 5,600; Chennai 498; Hyderabad 713)
- Robberies: 1,123 (Delhi 2,917; other southern metros far lower)
Why the rise?
Experts caution against simplistic rankings, noting some of the spike may reflect better reporting, helped by online complaint systems and greater awareness. But Bengaluru’s figures also mirror the strains of a fast-growing city, attracting migrants, battling over-stretched infrastructure, and losing its old image as a quiet administrative hub.
In contrast, Chennai has cut violent crime by a third in three years, while Hyderabad remains relatively stable. Kolkata continues to rank among the safest big cities, with under 1,000 violent crime cases in 2023.
At the national level, violent crime numbers have stayed broadly flat — 4.1 lakh in 2021 to 4.3 lakh in 2023. Bengaluru’s sharp spike therefore stands out.
For residents, the statistics echo lived reality — frequent reports of chain-snatching, street robberies and sexual assaults. While police argue rising figures show better reporting, urban planners point to gaps in safety infrastructure such as street lighting, CCTV coverage, patrolling and community policing.
