37 murders in Nagpur in 5 months: Passion, Rage & Petty Quarrels Are Trigger

Nagpur: The Nagpur police's long-standing battle against violence has led to further concern, as official police data reveal 37 murders in first five months of 2026 — a trend that reflects Nagpur's persistent tag as one of India's highly crime-prone metros, as per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).Police officials, however, claimed Nagpur's murder rate of eight per month has remained constant for two decades, with an abnormal spike in April, May and June when the mercury soars. "In February, we had two murders this year. Four years back, we had zero murders in February. In Nagpur, murder is the most unpredictable crime and happens over trivial issues," said a top cop, adding this year only one murder took place involving old rivalry among criminals.As per the latest internal statistics, the city clocked nine murders in January, which again dipped to two in February before rising to four in March, climbing to nine in April and peaking at 12 in May, pushing the five-month total to 37.This averages more than seven killings per month and has left law enforcement and citizens worried. What stands out starkly is the motive and trigger is often petty.Of 37 murders, 11 cases (30%) were driven by passion involving love triangles, illicit relationships, extramarital affairs, eve-teasing and domestic suspicions, while a staggering 14 cases (38%) stemmed from trivial issues like road rage, minor quarrels, ego clashes, unintended shoving or pushing and everyday irritants. Together, these two categories account for 68% of the killings. The remaining cases include five liquor-related disputes and two with unknown reasons.This pattern bears resemblance to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2024 data, which ranked Nagpur second among 19 metropolitan cities in murder rate at 3.5 per lakh population, recording 88 murder cases and 90 victims — a sharp rise from 79 cases in 2023 and 65 in 2022. "NCRB data for Nagpur is misleading as they consider the 2011 population of just 25 lakh for calculating the crime rate. The city's population has risen to more than 45 lakh, with more police stations and rural areas incorporated," said a senior official, arguing NCRB statistics should not be misinterpreted.Notably, as many as 30 murders in 2024 were attributed to petty quarrels, with senior officers citing bizarre triggers ranging from trivial quarrels and drunken brawls to disputes over shop changes or even hostile glances.The current cases point to intersecting factors such as money, muscle power, liquor networks and strained personal ties, suggesting that Nagpur's deep-rooted challenges — easy weapon access, poor anger management and fragile social bonds — are amplifying the crisis for police.Senior police officials admit the worrying continuity. "Most murders in Nagpur are not by professional criminals but by ordinary citizens losing control over small issues or emotional distress and they don't even have criminal records," a senior officer remarked.With six months left in 2026, Nagpur Police have intensified night patrolling, forensic probes and community outreach programmes in vulnerable pockets.