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In 2022, India documented a total of 28,522 murder cases, averaging 78 killings per day or more than three every hour, as per the latest report from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The figures indicated a decrease from 29,272 in 2021 and 29,193 in 2020, according to the “Crime in India-2022” report.
Uttar Pradesh led in reporting the highest number of murder cases, filing 3,491 FIRs in 2022. Following Uttar Pradesh were Bihar (2,930), Maharashtra (2,295), Madhya Pradesh (1,978), Rajasthan (1,834), and West Bengal (1,696), according to government data.
The NCRB highlighted states with the fewest murder cases in 2022, with Sikkim (9), Nagaland (21), Mizoram (31), Goa (44), and Manipur (47) ranking the lowest.
In terms of Union Territories, Delhi reported 509 murder cases in 2022, followed by 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).
The primary motive behind most murder cases in 2022 was ‘Disputes,’ accounting for 9,962 cases. Maharashtra had the highest number of dispute cases at 1,130, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,045), Bihar (980), Madhya Pradesh (726), and Uttar Pradesh (710).
Following disputes, ‘personal vendetta or enmity’ accounted for 3,761 cases, with Bihar (804), Madhya Pradesh (364), and Karnataka (353) topping the list.
The NCRB data also outlined various motives, including dowry, witchcraft, child/human sacrifice, communal/religious factors, casteism, political reasons, class conflict, honor killings, and love affairs.
Additionally, family disputes, illicit relationships, extremism/insurgency, robberies, gang rivalry, property/land disputes, and petty quarrels were identified as other motives behind murders in 2022.
