The City of Joy now the safest too - GetBengal Story
For the fourth consecutive year, Kolkata has been declared the safest city in India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recently released a report for 2023 indicating that Kolkata scored the lowest number of crimes of all major cities in India.
In 2023, Kolkata had 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh of persons, which is easily the lowest compared to the average of 828 among the 19 cities classified as major cities with a population greater than 20 lakh. Other cities included Kochi with 3,192.4 offences per lakh of persons; Delhi had 2,105.3; Surat 1,377.1; Hyderabad 332.3; Pune 337.1; or Mumbai 355.4. The report also stated that the crime rate in Kolkata has been declining since 2016.
Crimes against women have also come down. In 2023, Kolkata reported 1,746 such cases, compared to 1,890 in 2022 and 1,783 in 2021. The rate is 25.7 cases per lakh women, which is among the lowest in the country, after Chennai (17.3) and Coimbatore (22.7).
There were 10 cases of rape involving adults in 2023. The number was 11 in both 2021 and 2022. In the case of minors, there were 172 cases, which puts Kolkata in the 10th position among 19 cities.
The number of murders in Kolkata also remains low. The city recorded 43 murders in 2023, compared to 45 in 2021, and 53 in 2020. The murder rate is 181.6, which is much lower than the national average of 433.
West Bengal’s overall crime rate is also lower than the national average. However, some states like Jharkhand (161.1), Nagaland (84.9), Sikkim (103.9), and Meghalaya (105.2) performed even better. In 2023, the state recorded 1,686 murders and 224 cases of culpable homicide.
Officials credit the City's safety to enhanced policing and patrols, CCTV surveillance and public awareness. What really matters though is its people. Kolkata's sense of community, warmth and affinity has created a culture of safety and trust.
Kolkata is still more than a city - it is a feeling, a cadence and a familial bond among its citizens. While many metro cities struggle with safety and unrest, the City of Joy stands proudly, and peacefully. Kolkata’s streets hum with life, its nights are aglow with stillness, and its people walk home knowing that their city still cares for them. Four years, the safest city - a lifetime, the city with the biggest heart.
