Pune Records Lowest Conviction Rate Among Major Indian Metros, NCRB Report Shows
Pune, 3rd October 2025: While Maharashtra has shown steady progress in crime conviction rates, Pune city continues to lag behind other major metros, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) 2023 annual report. Among 19 metropolitan cities with populations exceeding 20 lakh, Pune ranked among the bottom three in securing convictions.
The report revealed that Pune recorded the lowest conviction rate for Indian Penal Code (IPC) offences at 8.8% in 2023, and the second-lowest for Special and Local Laws (SLL) cases at 14.5%, just ahead of Nagpur. Between 2021 and 2023, the Pune police achieved convictions in 1,681 cases, while 6,651 cases ended in acquittals and 1,591 were discharged due to insufficient grounds for trial.
In comparison, Maharashtra’s overall conviction rate was significantly higher at 49.3% for IPC cases and 27.9% for SLL offences, marking an improvement over 2022 figures of 45.1% and 21.4%, respectively.
Legal experts expressed concern over Pune’s poor performance, noting that the city’s crime rate of 337.1 was considerably below both the national average of 448.3 and the state average of 470.4. Pune, however, excelled in filing chargesheets, recording a high rate of 94%, highlighting a disconnect between investigation and successful prosecution.
The trend continued into 2024, with the Pune police securing convictions in only 291 cases, while 1,447 ended in acquittals, according to city police data. Experts pointed to weak evidence presentation, insufficient analysis of court rulings, and limited coordination with public prosecutors as key reasons for the low conviction rate.
Former DGP and ex-Pune CP Meeran Borwankar pointed to poor coordination and long trial durations as major hurdles. “Investigating officers are often overwhelmed with miscellaneous duties, leaving little time for thorough investigations,” she said.
Borwankar recalled instances during her tenure where cases, including bank card frauds, were neglected at local police stations. She said, “The delays in trials—sometimes five to six years after the crime—affect witness participation and prosecution support. Investigating officers cannot bear sole responsibility.”
She noted that Maharashtra has around 150–160 civil police officers per lakh population, compared to a global benchmark of 222.
Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar highlighted how protracted trials can lead to bail for the accused, discouraging witnesses. She explained, “Technical details often determine case outcomes. In MCOCA cases, linking accused individuals to gang leaders requires meticulous evidence collection. Similarly, establishing conspiracy under Section 120B demands strong circumstantial evidence if direct proof is lacking.”
Pawar also criticized the impact of non-investigative duties on officers. “Law and order responsibilities divert attention from investigations. Chargesheets are sometimes filed hastily, weakening cases in court,” she said.
The NCRB data and expert insights underline a pressing need for Pune’s police and judicial system to strengthen investigation quality, enhance prosecution coordination, and reduce trial delays to improve conviction rates.
