28,522 murder cases registered in India in 2022, 78 every day: NCRB data reveals

In 2022, a total of 28,522 murder cases were recorded in India, averaging 78 killings per day or over three every hour. This figure reflects a decline from 29,272 cases in 2021 and 29,193 cases in 2020, as per the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The primary motive behind the murders was 'Disputes,' accounting for 9,962 cases, followed by 'personal vendetta or enmity' with 3,761 cases, and 'gain' with 1,884 cases, according to the NCRB's annual crime report under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The nationwide murder rate per lakh population was 2.1, and the charge-sheeting rate for such cases was 81.5, as reported by the NCRB.

In 2022, Uttar Pradesh topped the list with the highest number of murder FIRs at 3,491, followed by Bihar (2,930), Maharashtra (2,295), Madhya Pradesh (1,978), and Rajasthan (1,834). These top five states collectively contributed to 43.92% of the total murder cases in the country, as per the data.

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Conversely, the states with the lowest number of murder cases in 2022 were Sikkim (9), Nagaland (21), Mizoram (31), Goa (44), and Manipur (47), as reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), responsible for collecting and analyzing crime data.

In 2022, Delhi, the national capital, recorded 509 murder cases, leading among Union Territories. Following Delhi were Jammu and Kashmir (99), Puducherry (30), Chandigarh (18), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (16), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (7), Ladakh (5), and Lakshadweep (Zero).

On a broader scale, the murder rate across India in 2022 was highest in Jharkhand (4), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (3.6), Chhattisgarh and Haryana (both 3.4), and Assam and Odisha (both 3).

States with comparatively lower murder rates per lakh population included Uttar Pradesh (1.5), Bihar (2.3), Maharashtra (1.8), Madhya Pradesh (2.3), and Rajasthan (2.3), according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau.

Regarding the age demographics, 95.4 percent of murder victims were adults. Out of the total victims, 8,125 were female, and nine were identified as third-gender individuals. Men constituted approximately 70 percent of the murder victims, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

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In a cautionary note within the annual report, the NCRB emphasized that the presumption that an increase in police data reflects a rise in crime, and consequently, the ineffectiveness of the police is misleading. "'Rise in crime' and 'increase in registration of crime by police' are clearly two different things, a fact which requires better understanding. Thus an oft-repeated expectation from certain quarters that an effective police administration will be able to keep the crime figures low, is misplaced," it stated.

"Increase in crime numbers in a state police data may in fact be on account of certain citizen centric police initiatives, like launching of e-FIR facility or women Helpdesks, etc. The increase or decrease in crime numbers, however, does call for a professional investigation of underlying factors pertaining to the local communities to suitably address the pertinent issues," it added.

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