For three decades now, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been in power in Gujarat. It’s celebrated as a model state, which prides itself in maintaining law, order and good governance.
However, the figures tell a different story. An alarming one at that.
According to the 2023 figures from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), cases of loot and theft have been on the rise. In 2023 alone, thefts amounting to Rs 423 crore were reported.
This is significantly higher than the Rs 300.5 crore reported in 2022 and Rs 175 crore in 2021.
What raises questions about the efficiency of policing and the action taken post-theft is the low recovery rate.
Only 23% of stolen items were recovered. According to data, out of the Rs 423 crore worth of loot and theft in 2023, the police were able to recover only Rs 98 crore.
Cumulatively, considering thefts over the last three years, amounting to Rs 989 crore, only Rs 255 crore has been recovered. There is no trace of the remaining Rs 643 crore.
Cases of abduction have also been on the rise, according to NCRB data.
Each month, Gujarat records around 140 cases of abduction, with the majority of victims aged between 12 and 16 years. Many of these abductions are linked to human trafficking, pushing girls into prostitution and boys into begging. Molestation is also cited as a motive in many cases.
Ahmedabad tops the list of cities with the highest number of abduction cases. Of the 771 cases reported in 2023, 296 were from Ahmedabad. In comparison, the heritage city recorded 182 cases in 2021.
The police have been able to solve 70.8% of these cases, painting a grim reality of the state.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Dr Manish Doshi told Vibes of India that these crimes stem from the easy availability of liquor and drugs in the state.
He further said that rising unemployment and the decline of small and medium-scale industries are contributing factors.
Doshi alleged that the administration has failed to maintain law and order, and that people no longer fear the police. “Instead of goons fearing the police, it is the common man who fears the police,” he remarked.
The rising crime figures and dismal recovery rates raise serious questions about Gujarat’s law and order machinery.
Gujarat’s ground reality points to deeper systemic failures — concerns over women and children’s safety are disquieting.
Urgent reforms in policing, social welfare, and employment are the need of the hour. Else, the gulf between the perception of Gujarat and reality will only widen.
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