Pune Police chief refutes NCP MP's charge, says Pune is a safe city
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar has dismissed the ‘Crime Capital’ label for the city in a letter to NCP (SharadPawar) Member of Parliament (MP), Supriya Sule. He noted a significant drop in major crimes and pointed out Pune’s NCRB ranking. Kumar also shared data showing that major crimes have steadily declined from 2023 to 2026.
The Lok Sabha MP from Baramati criticised Pune’s law-and-order situation and warned of public protests. The Police Commissioner replied in detail, including the city’s crime statistics.
The letter states that attempted murders dropped by 27 per cent, chain snatching by 56 per cent, robbery by 36 per cent,house-breaking by 14 per cent, theft by 24 per cent, and vehicle theft by 28 per cent. When comparing January to May 2025 with the same months in 2026, murder and attempted murder fell by 10.5 per cent, robbery by 36 per cent, hurt by 3 per cent, and rape by 7 per cent.
The police chief noted a small increase in murders, most of which involved family members. Vehicle vandalism decreased by more than 50% through focused efforts and patrols. The letter also addresses claims that Pune is the ‘5th highest crime city.’
The Commissioner cited the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) “Crime in India” report to challenge the claim. According to the 2024 report, Pune is ranked 18th out of 19 metropolitan cities for the rate of cognizable offences, not 5th as claimed. Pune is 15th out of 19 cities in Total IPC/BNS Crimes and 11th out of 19 cities for murder rates.
“It is thus submitted that it is factually incorrect to state that Pune is the 5th highest in the country in crime or that it is the ‘Crime Capital’. On the contrary, Pune ranks as one of the safer cities, as per NCRB data,” the letter states.
Regarding organised crime, the Commissioner told the MP that almost all major gangs have been prosecuted under MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act), and most of their members have been in jail for nearly a year. In May 2026, police quickly solved a gang-related attempted murder, arresting all six suspects within 10 hours and charging them under MCOCA.
There have been no other gang-related crimes in the last six months, and no cases have been booked under the NDPS Act in the past two years, though drugs worth ₹20 crore were seized. In 2024, police also uncovered a ₹3,700-crore international drug racket, the top cop emphasised. The nine- page letter addresses concerns about Pune City Police and highlights the city’s improved crime statistics and achievements, all backed by verified data.
