The national Capital reported a spate in the number of murder cases in 2018 as compared to the corresponding period. According to police data, 477 cases of murder were reported in Delhi in 2018, compared to 462 in 2017. However, there was a decrease in attempt to murder cases with 515 reported in 2018 than 2017.

With 20.96 per cent of murder cases due to sudden provocation and trivial issues, Delhi's short fuse was the second most common reason behind murder in the Capital.

According to the data, personal enmity or dispute was the leading cause of killing in 2018 with 37.95 per cent cases and 10.90 per cent being passion related murders.

Surprisingly, only 10.90 per cent of the murders are crime related while 19 per cent of murders are of unidentified bodies and others. Moreover, 43 per cent of the murders were done using sharp-edged weapons, 19 per cent involved usage of fire arms, 16 per cent involved usage of blunt objects, 14 per cent included strangulation, and five per cent involved other weapons, while one per cent included usage of poison or liquor.

However, the Delhi Police said out of the murders, over 86.1 per cent were solved. Incidents of murder per lakh of population have shown a significant decline during the last 14 years, coming down to 2.60 per cent in 2018 from 3.29 per cent in 2004, police said.

Several high-profile cases in the year 2018 include the murder of an Army Major's wife by a fellow officer, the murders of three members of a family including the father, mother and daughter by the son in Kishangarh.

Angered for throwing a stone at his dog, an accused person allegedly shot a tailor in Welcome area, while a man was beaten to death allegedly by his former employer after he refused to fill water for him from the tanker in outer Delhi's Ranhola area.