Even as Nagpur Police claims a 100% detection rate in body offences, vehicle theft continues to pose a major challenge. In the first six months of 2025 alone, an average of five vehicles were stolen daily, but the detection rate has fallen to a concerning 26%.
Between January and June 2025, a total of 871 two-wheelers and four-wheelers were reported stolen across the city. Of these, the police managed to recover only 228 vehicles, indicating a widening gap between crimes reported and those solved.
This isn’t a recent development. Over the past four years, more than 7,700 vehicles have been stolen in Nagpur. Shockingly, over 5,000 of these remain untraced, with police recovering only around 2,600 vehicles during that period. The persistent low recovery rate has raised serious questions about the effectiveness of vehicle theft investigations in the city.
The sharp rise in vehicle theft is being linked to the increasing number and market value of two-wheelers, making them easy targets. However, despite the growing scale of the problem, detection rates have steadily declined year after year, leading to concerns over whether such crimes are being taken seriously by law enforcement.
At many police stations, abandoned and rusting vehicles can be seen occupying space, a stark reminder of unresolved cases. The Nagpur Traffic Police recently launched a drive to trace the owners of unclaimed vehicles, but the initiative has been criticized for coming too late and having limited impact.
Commissioner of Police Dr. Ravinder Kumar Singal cited lack of CCTV surveillance and delayed reporting as the main hurdles in solving vehicle theft cases.
“In most incidents, CCTV footage is unavailable. Also, victims often report the theft after the critical golden hours have passed, giving the culprits enough time to escape,” said Dr. Singal.
Despite the challenges, he assured that the police are working to improve recovery rates.
“Last year, over 200 vehicles were recovered in a single operation, and this year too, we’ve traced several stolen vehicles in bulk,” he added.
On the issue of unclaimed vehicles piling up at police stations, the CP said that continuous efforts are being made to verify ownership and process them through legal channels.
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