NAGPUR city is witnessing a worrying rise in violent crime. Murders, attempted killings, gang clashes and firing incidents are becoming more frequent. Old rivalries are turning deadly. Even small personal disputes are ending in brutal attacks. The growing use of knives and guns has added to fears over the city’s law and order. The city reported 20 murders in July and August, with 10 cases in each month.The figure was 12in the same period of 2025and 14 in 2024. This means murders were about 67 per cent higher than last year. The increase is also visible in the eight-month figures.Nagpur recorded 67 murders from January to August 2026, compared with 64 during the same period in 2025 and 62 in 2024. Several crime incidents reported in July showed how quickly petty disputes are turning violent the second capital. On July 2, two murder cases were reported within a few hours.

 

A woman was found with stab wounds under New Kamptee police limits, while Ganesh Pritamlal Borkar was murdered in Hanuman Nagar under Bhandewadi police limits. Gang rivalry further added to the tension. On July 16, firing was reported near Shaniwar Bazaar. Jagdish Gokhale opened fire at MCOCA accused Ajay Chinchkhede during a rivalry between criminal groups. Chinchkhede escaped unhurt. On July 25, an old rivalry turned fatal at Manewada Ghat. Eighteen-year-old Pawan Suryavanshi was killed and three others were injured. Police suspected that the attackers had tracked him through Instagram before calling him for a settlement. August brought another series of violent incidents. Two murders were reported within about 24 hours on August 15 and 16. Akshay Shette (28), was killed following a family dispute in Ganeshpeth. In another incident near Ramgiri slum in Seminary Hills, milk vendor Chandan Siraswar (43), was attacked with a paver block following a road dispute.

 

He later died at Mayo Hospital. Gang violence also continued in August. A clash between rival groups in Jaripatka left 19-year-old Rajveer Sharma dead. Gangster Sheikh Akram alias Bhuru was critically injured in an alleged hit-and run on August 11. Police later invoked MCOCA against the alleged gang. Attempted murders are an even bigger concern. The city recorded 12 cases in July and 21 in August. The combined figure of 33 was higher than the 25 cases recorded during the same period in 2025. The city recorded 127 attempt to murder cases in the first eight months of 2026 while 104 in 2025 (eight months). June was particularly alarming, with 26 attempted murder cases.

 

This was the second highest monthly figure in the three-year data. Gun violence has also emerged as a worrying feature. Apart from the July firing at Chinchkhede, two masked men opened fire at the residence of Congress corporator Shubham Motghare in Shravan Nagar in August. A retired police official said the figures should be viewed along with the nature of the incidents.“Violence is increasingly being triggered by personal disputes, old rivalries and gang conflicts. The worrying part is the readiness to use knives, firearms and other weapons. Preventive policing has to work before a dispute becomes a murder,” the official said. The official said beat policing and local intelligence would be crucial. “Police need to know who the troublemakers are, where they operate and what rivalries are developing. Night patrolling and quick intervention can prevent many incidents,” he said. Robbery figures, however, present a different picture. Robberies have fallen sharply over the three-year period. The city recorded 193 cases in 2024 and 98 in 2025 and only 64 cases in the first eight months of 2026.