AHMEDABAD: The city of Ahmedabad reported increases in cases of loot (10%), murder (38.57%), theft (10.5%) and suicide (35%) in 2021, compared to 2020.
In the last two years, the state reported an average of 2.5 murders, 20.5 thefts, 5.2 kidnappings and 20.75 suicides every day.
The state government tabled this data in the state assembly in response to questions by Congress MLAs.
The state government said that in 2020 and 2021, there were 1,024 cases of loot, 1,893 murders, 18,658 thefts, 3,911 kidnappings, 1,679 attempted murders and 5,332 burglaries in Gujarat.
In reply to a question by Congress MLA Himmatsinh Patel regarding crime in Ahmedabad city, the state government said that in 2021 the number of murders in the city increased by 27, thefts by 240 and suicides by 254.
A city police officer said there was a lockdown in 2020 and as things eased in 2021 there was an increase in thefts. Officials said that in 2020, there were an average of 6.5 thefts a day in the city and in 2021 this number rose to seven.
An official said suicides increased as people lost jobs and businesses suffered due to the pandemic. He said that in cases of murder too, financial disputes had led to fights which ended in murders or attempted murders.
