India's Crime Landscape: Mixed Bag of Successes and Challenges in 2025
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Maharashtra witnessed a complex year in terms of crime and security in 2025. The year began with the brutal murder of a sarpanch in Beed, which sent shockwaves across the nation. The case led to the arrest of Walmik Karad, a close aide of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde, and ultimately resulted in Munde's resignation due to mounting political pressure. In a significant development, key Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias 'Bhupathi' surrendered with 60 cadres in Gadchiroli in October, marking a major success in the anti-Naxal operation. The Centre has set a deadline to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31, 2026. The Mumbai police played a crucial role in the deportation of 26/11 terror attacks case mastermind Tahawwur Hussain Rana and gangster Anmol Bishnoi from the USA. However, the police faced setbacks in some major cases, including the acquittal of all seven accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case and 11 accused in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts case. A series of high-profile financial and other fraud cases came to light, including the embezzlement of ₹122 crore in the New India Cooperative Bank and alleged irregularities in a land deal involving state Deputy CM Ajit Pawar's son Parth. The police also arrested several individuals, including Bollywood actor Dino Morea and his brother, in connection with alleged scams. The year also saw an increase in cyber fraud, with a 72-year-old man losing ₹58 crore in a digital arrest case. Additionally, social entrepreneur Rohit Arya was shot dead during a police operation to rescue captives held at a recording studio in Mumbai. Several incidents raised concerns over the safety of women in the state, including a rape case inside a state transport bus in Pune and a woman doctor's alleged repeated rape and subsequent suicide. The year also saw the arrest of a software engineer for his alleged links with outfits such as Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.
