Bengaluru: Karnataka reported more than 21,000 violent crimes in 2023, placing it sixth among Indian states, according to the Crime in India 2023 report released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).This puts it behind Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, but ahead of southern neighbour Tamil Nadu, which has steadily reduced its violent crime load over the past three years.Murder, rape, kidnapping and abduction, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, arson and rioting are grouped by the NCRB under “violent crimes”, often used as a marker of safety at the state level. Violent crimes in the NCRB’s definition include murder, rape, kidnapping and abduction, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, arson and rioting — offences often treated as the barometer of public safety. The national picture shows that violent crime in India has largely plateaued.The country recorded more than 4.1 lakh cases in 2021, rising to more than 4.3 lakh in 2022, and then holding almost unchanged at 4.3 lakh again in 2023. Karnataka’s numbers, however, tell a different story.In 2021, the state logged just under 19,000 violent crimes. The following year, the number edged up to 19,567. By 2023, it had crossed 21,000—a 14% increase in three years, well above the national trend.Police officials attribute much of this to rising registration in urban centres such as Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubballi-Dharwad, where the rollout of online complaint systems and greater awareness among citizens has led to more cases being formally booked.Uttar Pradesh remains the clear outlier nationally. Its tally of violent crimes climbed from nearly 57,000 in 2021 to just over 61,000 in 2023, meaning that one in every seven such cases in India occurs in that state.Bihar, too, has shown a steady upward trajectory, from 32,600 cases in 2021 to close to 36,000 by 2023. Maharashtra has fluctuated but stayed consistently high, reporting almost 33,400 violent crimes last year. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan remain close to each other, each contributing between 23,000 and 28,000 cases over the same period.Tamil Nadu offers the sharpest contrast. It reported close to 18,700 violent crimes in 2021, but the number has since dropped year on year, reaching just 16,657 in 2023. This is nearly 2,100 fewer cases than three years ago, placing the state well below Karnataka despite having a comparable population size.For Karnataka, the trend is unmistakable: while it is nowhere near the scale of Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, its violent crime numbers are climbing steadily. Experts argue that Bengaluru’s surge in particular has tilted the state’s profile. The city alone accounts for nearly a sixth of Karnataka’s violent crime load, and its growth from 2,393 cases in 2021 to 3,528 last year mirrors the state-level increase.The NCRB cautions that higher numbers can partly reflect improved reporting, not just deteriorating safety. Still, the trajectory places Karnataka in a bracket of states whose violent crime burden is inching upwards even as the national curve has flattened.——Graphic: Violent crimes trend (2021–2023)■ Uttar Pradesh: 56,873 → 59,941 → 61,087■ Bihar: 32,599 → 34,018 → 35,912■ Maharashtra: 32,987 → 34,458 → 33,365■ Madhya Pradesh: 26,678 → 27,992 → 27,529■ Rajasthan: 23,802 → 24,483 → 23,468■ Karnataka: 18,827 → 19,567 → 21,399■ Tamil Nadu: 18,729 → 17,690 → 16,657■ All India: 4,13,497 → 4,34,108 → 4,34,987(Source: NCRB Crime in India 2023)
