Rajasthan Records 4.65% Drop in BNS Crimes in First Half of 2026; DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma Unveils Aggressive Strategy Against Drug Cartels and Cybercrime
Rajasthan reported a 4.65% decline in BNS crimes during the first six months of 2026. DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma announced a tougher crackdown on drug mafias, cybercrime, organised crime and illegal arms while highlighting improvements in women’s safety, faster investigations and technology-driven policing.
Rajasthan Records 4.65% Drop in BNS Crimes in First Half of 2026; DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma Unveils Aggressive Strategy Against Drug Cartels and Cybercrime
Jaipur: Rajasthan has registered a notable decline in overall crime during the first six months of 2026, with offences recorded under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) falling by 4.65% compared to the corresponding period last year. The encouraging figures were unveiled by Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar Sharma (IPS:1990) during a comprehensive presentation of the Rajasthan Police’s half-yearly performance report at the Rajasthan Police Academy on Monday.
While highlighting improvements across several categories of serious crimes, the state’s top police officer also announced an intensified offensive against organised drug syndicates, cyber fraud, illegal arms networks and repeat offenders. He said Rajasthan Police is steadily shifting from conventional law enforcement towards intelligence-led, preventive and technology-driven policing, with greater emphasis on disrupting criminal ecosystems before offences occur.
Crime Under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Registers Significant Decline
According to the six-month crime data released by Rajasthan Police, a total of 94,652 BNS cases were registered between January and June 2026, compared to 99,272 cases during the same period in 2025.
The reduction of nearly five percent reflects a broader decline in several categories of violent and serious crimes across the state.
At the same time, cases registered under local and special laws increased by 4.25%, rising from 49,087 to 51,172. Officials clarified that this increase is largely the result of intensified enforcement drives against narcotics, illegal arms, excise violations and organised criminal activities rather than an increase in overall criminality.
DGP Sharma said the latest figures indicate that Rajasthan Police has strengthened preventive policing, intelligence gathering and field-level enforcement while improving operational efficiency across districts.
Sharp Fall in Serious Crimes Across the State
The latest statistics reveal encouraging trends in several major crime categories.
According to Rajasthan Police data:
Murder cases declined by 4.41%, reducing from 702 to 672.
Attempt to murder cases dropped by 11.17%, with 1,145 cases reported.
Dacoity incidents decreased by 16.28%, with only 36 cases registered.
Robbery cases fell sharply by 19.93%, declining to 462.
Kidnapping and abduction cases reduced by 4.72%, with 4,965 cases recorded.
Rape cases witnessed a substantial 13.36% decline, falling from 2,088 to 1,809.
Cases registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act declined by 20.90%, dropping to 1,306.
Cases under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act also registered an 18.81% decline, reaching 2,534.
The DGP attributed the overall decline to better policing strategies, stronger intelligence networks, enhanced surveillance and sustained preventive action taken across the state.
Women’s Safety Shows Encouraging Improvement
One of the most significant highlights of the report was the noticeable improvement in crimes against women.
According to DGP Sharma, overall crimes against women declined by 6.44% during the first half of 2026.
The reduction was accompanied by a substantial decline in rape cases and POCSO offences, reflecting what officials described as the impact of specialised policing initiatives focused on women’s safety.
Several dedicated programmes have been instrumental in achieving these results, including:
Kalika Patrol Unit
Anti Romeo Squad
One Stop Crisis Centre
Suraksha Sakhi
Mahila Sal Suraksha Kendra
The police also credited statewide campaigns such as Operation Garima and Operation Khushi for helping improve safety for women and children while encouraging greater public participation in crime prevention.
Faster Investigation of Sensitive Cases
Apart from reducing crime, Rajasthan Police has also succeeded in accelerating investigations in sensitive criminal cases.
The average investigation period for rape cases has been reduced significantly.
For rape cases:
2024-25: 81 days
2025-26: 52 days
Similarly, investigations under the POCSO Act have become considerably faster.
For POCSO cases:
2024-25: 78.2 days
2025-26: 51.2 days
Officials believe shorter investigation timelines will strengthen prosecution, reduce delays in the justice delivery system and provide quicker relief to victims.
Property Recovery Records Major Improvement
Another area where Rajasthan Police reported significant progress is the recovery of stolen property.
The recovery rate in robbery cases improved from 71% to 79.09%.
Recovery in burglary cases witnessed an even more dramatic improvement, increasing from 9.58% to 58.24%.
Overall recovery of stolen property also rose sharply from 10.34% to 24.79%.
According to the DGP, the improved performance has been made possible through better investigative methods, digital evidence collection, advanced forensic techniques and increased use of technology in criminal investigations.
Drug Mafias Face Tougher Financial Action
A major focus of Rajasthan Police during 2026 has been the dismantling of organised narcotics networks operating across the state.
During the review period:
7,195 NDPS Act cases were registered, reflecting a 29.94% increase over last year.
6,700 Arms Act cases were registered.
24,811 Excise Act cases were recorded.
Police officials clarified that the higher number of cases is the outcome of more aggressive enforcement and targeted operations against organised crime.
The DGP said the force is no longer limiting its strategy to arresting drug traffickers alone. Instead, investigators are increasingly targeting the financial assets of criminal syndicates.
During 2025-26:
34 organised narcotics cases were registered.
83 accused were arrested.
224 drug trafficking hotspots across 20 districts were identified and brought under intensive surveillance.
Properties worth approximately Rs 7.36 crore linked to alleged drug traffickers were demolished or attached in 15 separate cases.
Going forward, Rajasthan Police plans to make wider use of provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the PIT-NDPS Act to cripple organised drug networks by attaching properties allegedly acquired through narcotics trafficking.
Cyber Policing Receives a Major Technology Upgrade
Cybercrime continues to remain one of the state’s top policing priorities.
To strengthen digital policing capabilities, the Rajasthan Government has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for establishing the Rajasthan Cyber Crime Control Centre (R4C) along with an AI-powered 1930 Cyber Helpline Call Centre.
The state’s cyber policing achievements during the first half of 2026 include:
Cyber Police Stations established in all 41 police districts.
Cyber Help Desks made operational in every police station.
405 online Zero FIRs registered for cyber fraud involving amounts up to Rs 5 lakh since January 2026.
1.84 lakh lost mobile phones successfully traced.
61,346 mobile phones returned to their rightful owners.
More than 1.25 lakh SIM cards blocked.
Nearly 1.19 lakh IMEI numbers disabled after being linked to cybercriminal activities.
Officials said the proposed R4C will integrate artificial intelligence, cyber intelligence, digital forensics and rapid response mechanisms under a single command structure, significantly enhancing the state’s ability to tackle emerging cyber threats.
ATS Intensifies Action Against Terror and Illegal Networks
The Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) also remained active during the six-month period.
According to the DGP:
Three cases were registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Three accused were arrested.
The ATS also carried out multiple operations against:
Illegal explosives networks
Arms trafficking syndicates
Fake Aadhaar document rackets
Police also monitored 728 individuals for suspicious online activity, while 15 youths underwent structured de-radicalisation interventions aimed at preventing extremist influence.
Rajasthan Police Shifts Focus to Preventive and Smart Policing
Presenting the force’s roadmap for the coming months, DGP Rajeev Kumar Sharma said Rajasthan Police is entering a new phase where crime prevention will receive equal importance as crime detection.
He said the objective is to identify criminal networks before offences occur, dismantle the economic foundations of organised crime and leverage technology to improve policing outcomes.
“Our highest priority will now be crime prevention, breaking the economic backbone of criminals and implementing technology-based smart policing,” Sharma said.
The police leadership has identified several key priorities for the future, including:
Greater attachment of properties belonging to drug traffickers.
Stronger action by the Anti-Gangster Task Force against organised crime and extortion rackets.
Extradition of wanted criminals operating from foreign countries.
Expansion of cyber policing infrastructure through the Rajasthan Cyber Crime Control Centre.
Wider deployment of artificial intelligence, digital analytics and technology-driven investigation tools.
A New Era of Intelligence-Led Policing
The Rajasthan Police’s six-month performance report points to a broader transformation in the state’s policing model.
With declining violent crime, improved safety for women, faster investigations, enhanced cyber capabilities and a determined assault on organised drug syndicates, the force is increasingly adopting a proactive and intelligence-based approach to law enforcement.
Officials believe the upcoming Rajasthan Cyber Crime Control Centre, aggressive financial action against drug cartels and sustained investments in technology will further strengthen the state’s policing capabilities in the months ahead.
As Rajasthan embraces smarter, data-driven policing, the emphasis is clearly shifting from merely responding to crime to preventing it before it takes place – a strategy that could shape the future of law enforcement across the state.
