New Delhi: The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released its 2024 report on Wednesday, highlighting a significant surge in violent criminal activity across several major Indian states. According to the data, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh emerged as the top three states with the highest number of violent incidents for the second consecutive year. Beyond sheer volume, these regions recorded massive spikes in such cases compared to the previous year, raising concerns over public safety and law enforcement efficacy.
In 2024, Bihar witnessed a staggering 105 per cent increase in violent crimes, with incidents jumping from 52,165 in 2023 to 1,07,303. Maharashtra followed a similar trajectory, reporting 87,791 incidents—an 89 per cent rise from its 2023 figure of 46,249. Uttar Pradesh also saw a substantial escalation, recording 85,647 violent crimes in 2024, representing a 73 per cent increase over the 49,453 cases logged the year prior. Conversely, Manipur showed a dramatic reversal in trends; following the ethnic violence of 2023 which saw 14,427 incidents, the state reported an 89 per cent decrease, with only 1,614 cases in 2024.
The report also tracked overall criminal registrations under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and its successor, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which was implemented on July 1, 2024. In terms of total criminal cases, Uttar Pradesh maintained its position at the top of the list with 4,30,552 registrations, a marginal increase from the previous year. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh followed with 3,83,044 and 2,82,874 cases respectively, though both states actually saw slight decreases in total crime volume compared to 2023 despite the rise in specifically “violent” categories.
The transition to the BNS framework in mid-2024 marks a pivotal shift in the country’s judicial processing, yet the NCRB data suggests that the transition has not yet slowed the momentum of violent crime in high-population states. While Manipur’s sharp decline offers a glimpse of stabilization in one of the country’s most volatile regions, the triple-digit growth in Bihar and near-double growth in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh remain the central focus of this year’s statistical analysis of national security.
