Belagavi has witnessed an alarming escalation in unlawful activities, with official data for the year 2025 showing registered cases nearly doubling compared to the previous year. This sharp increase presents mounting challenges for the city's law enforcement agencies in maintaining public order.
By the Numbers: A Dramatic Year-on-Year Spike
Statistics released by the Belagavi city police commissioner's office paint a concerning picture. The total number of registered illegal activity cases jumped dramatically from 237 in 2024 to 461 in 2025, marking an increase of over 94%. This near-doubling of cases underscores a significant shift in the city's crime landscape within a single year.
The most staggering rise was recorded under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Cases booked under this act exploded from just 55 in 2024 to 210 in 2025. Senior police officials link this dramatic spike directly to an aggressive enforcement campaign launched after City Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase assumed his role in May 2025. The data suggests both a widening narcotics problem and a more vigorous police response.
Key Areas of Concern: Gambling, Arms, and Harassment
Beyond narcotics, other categories of crime also saw notable increases. Cases linked to matka gambling rose from 99 to 131. General gambling-related offences showed a slight uptick from 25 to 27 cases.
A particularly troubling trend emerged in the proliferation of illegal weapons. Cases involving illegal arms witnessed a tenfold surge, climbing steeply from a mere 3 cases in 2024 to 30 in 2025. This sharp rise has ignited serious concerns about public safety and the circulation of illicit firearms within the city.
Furthermore, complaints regarding microfinance harassment grew, moving from one case in 2024 to four in 2025. This indicates a rise in allegations about coercive and aggressive loan recovery practices targeting vulnerable borrowers.
Silent Zones and the Path Ahead for Belagavi Police
The police data also highlighted areas where no cases were reported in either year. These include illegal mining, illegal clubs, real estate mafia activities, the BUDS Act, cricket betting, and other betting-related offences. While officials suggest this could point to effective deterrence in these specific domains, they also acknowledge that under-reporting or under-detection remains a possibility.
The comprehensive data for 2025 underscores an urgent need for sustained, targeted strategies by the Belagavi police. The focus must particularly remain on curbing the twin threats of narcotics trafficking and organized crime, which continue to pose severe risks to law and order not just in Belagavi, but across the wider state region. The coming months will be critical in assessing the long-term impact of the intensified policing drive initiated in mid-2025.
