CHENNAI: Murder cases in the state in the first quarter have gone down marginally when compared to the first quarter of 2024, the Tamil Nadu police stated in a press release on Thursday. A total of 340 murders have been reported this year, as against the 352 cases recorded in 2024, the release said, recording a 3.4% decrease.
As per the press note from the office of Director General of Police (DGP) Shankar Jiwal, a long-term analysis of the reported murders indicated that during the period between 2017 and 2020, murder cases increased gradually every year and peaked in 2019 with 1,745 cases.
However, since 2021, murder cases have consistently declined every year, with the least number of murder cases reported in 2024 with 1,563 cases. The year 2024 also recorded the least number of murders in any year during the last 12 years, the press note said.
Without specifying the figures, the press note also stated that murders involving history-sheeters reduced ‘significantly’ during the last four years, particularly in 2024, which recorded the lowest ‘rowdy murders’ in the last six years due to various measures taken by the police, the press note said.
According to the release, in 2024, a record number of 3,645 history-sheeters were detained under preventive laws. Re-categorisation of HS rowdies led to a 50% drop in A+ and A categories for focused monitoring of active rowdies.
DARE officers were appointed at station levels to track notorious rowdies. Of 391 advanced trial cases, 242 convictions were secured, the highest in 12 years. Additionally, 68 bail cancellations and financial probes against 41 rowdies were initiated to weaken their operations.