New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS): There has been a 1.75 percent increase in the national capital's crime graph in 2012 in comparison to 2011, Delhi Police said Friday but attributed city crimes largely to growth of "unplanned colonies". Crime against women too went up, they said.

A total of 54,287 cases were registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) in 2012. In 2011, the number of cases was lower at 53,353, Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar said, adding that it was a rise of 1.75 percent.

Despite the increase in crimes, Delhi Police solved 53.15 percent cases in 2012 in comparison to 51.47 percent in 2011.

"In Delhi, almost 65 percent of the population lives in unplanned colonies. About 11.7 percent live in rural or urban villages while only 23.7 percent people staying in planned colonies, which is an important causative factor for crime in Delhi," Kumar said.

He said the number of cases per lakh of the population declined from 392.64 cases in 2001 to 318.98 in 2012.

In 2012, 521 cases of murder were registered as against 543 cases in 2011 -- a decline of 4.05 percent.

Analysis of motives in murder cases in 2012 reveals that 20.54 percent of the cases were due to sudden provocation or trivial issues, 12.86 percent due to old enmity, 14.59 percent were sex related, 10.94 percent were over differences among family members and 8.83 percent were due to disputes over property.

Only 13.82 percent of the murder cases were crime related, Kumar said.

He said cases of crime against women went up last year.

In 2012, 706 rape cases were reported compared to 572 in 2011. Also, 727 cases of molestation were reported last year but 94 percent of them were solved.

A total of 2,402 heinous crimes--including 707 rapes, 21 kidnapping for ransom, 79 riots, 608 robberies, 439 attempt to murder, 521 murder and 28 dacoity -- were registered last year in the comparison to 2,171 in 2011.

However, 51,885 non-heinous cases -- including 136 extortion, 1,440 snatching, 1,747 hurt, 1,715 burglary, 14,391 motor vehicle theft, 1,746 house thefts, 5,895 other theft, 727 molestation, 3,675 kidnapping, 274 abduction, 1,822 fatal accidents, 5,115 simple accidents and 13,202 other cases -- were registered in 2012 in the comparison of 51,182 in 2011.