Karnataka's crime rate saw a slight decline in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) on Wednesday, with Bengaluru also reporting a drop in overall cognisable offences, though the figure remains higher than in 2022. The data covers crimes registered under the Indian Penal Code and reflects trends across urban and rural districts.

The rate of violent crimes in the state, however, rose in 2024, including offences such as rape, murder, kidnapping, robbery, and arson as classified by the NCRB. A senior police official noted that while murders and abductions decreased, rape cases remained high, partly due to the registration of cases involving consensual elopement of minors.

The implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which came into force midway through 2024, altered certain legal definitions and could have influenced the data, making year-on-year comparisons difficult, the official said. This transition may have affected categorisation and reporting of offences across police stations.

Chargesheeting rates in the state stood at 72.9%, but in Bengaluru, the figure was significantly lower at 54.4%, indicating that in less than half of the cases registered in the city, formal chargesheets were filed. Law enforcement officials acknowledged the challenge in investigation capacity and case processing.

The state police department will review the NCRB data in detail and submit an internal assessment to the Home Ministry by the end of May to inform policy adjustments and resource allocation for 2025.