Haryana's Mixed Crime Landscape: Progress in Women's Safety, Drug Fight, but Challenges Remain
Haryana's crime landscape reveals a mix of progress and challenges. While it ranks fourth nationally in total FIRs, it remains outside the top 10 for overall crime rate. The state has also seen a significant decline in crimes against women and has achieved a remarkable feat in registering 100% FIRs for missing persons and children.
Haryana's policing efforts have shown notable results. The state has seen a substantial decrease in rape cases, from 1,800 in 2023 to an estimated 1,100 by the end of 2025. This decline can be attributed to both strict enforcement and a sensitive approach, despite a growing population.
However, Haryana faces challenges in drug trafficking and addiction. The state registers around 5,500 arrests annually under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, including nearly 1,000 major traffickers. To combat this, more than 4,000 villages and wards have been declared drug-free, with plans to cover 60 to 70% of villages by 2025. Efforts are also underway to strengthen de-addiction centres.
The state's high FIR count, fourth nationally, is partly due to electricity and water theft (67,000 in 2023) and missing persons cases (15,529 in 2023). Notably, Haryana is the first and only state to register 100% FIRs for missing persons and children.
Despite ranking fourth in total FIRs, Haryana's actual crime rate places it below the top 10 states nationally. The state has made significant strides in reducing crimes against women and combating drug trafficking, with ambitious plans to declare more villages drug-free and strengthen de-addiction centres. However, challenges remain in tackling specific categories of crime, such as electricity and water theft and missing persons cases.
