Updated on Saturday, July 04, 2009, 19:25 IST

New Delhi, July 04: After having been branded as the crime capital and rape capital of the country, Delhi has registered a decline in cases of cognisable offence during the first half of this year.

"The IPC crime per one lakh population has dropped from 372 in 1991 to 264. Last year, the figure was 287. This is an all-time low in the history of Delhi," City Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal told reporters here today.

According to Dadwal, the IPC crimes have declined to 23,365 cases till June this year as against 24,089 cases during the same period last year.

In the first six months, 214 murder cases were registered in the capital till June as against 229 cases as against the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, rape cases has dropped to 226 from 259 during the same period while molestation cases reported a 26.57 drop from 350 to 257 cases.

"There was drop in heinous offences from 1,046 last year to 968 this year," Dadwal told reporters.

However, non-heinous offences like snatching, motor- vehicle theft and extortion have risen during the first six months of this year as against the corresponding period last year.

Bureau Report