Chandigarh: On the outside, Chandigarh, with its manicured lawns and heritage buildings, is a utopia of planned urban development. On the inside, its seething. Going by the frequency of brutal murder cases, City Beautiful seems to have developed a sinister side. The year 2026 got off to a violent start, with seven brutal murders marring the first two months. Victims were stabbed or bludgeoned to death in parks, a hotel, a house, and on roads. Police claimed to have solved the cases with the arrest of the accused but for residents, that does not ease apprehensions.The cases were reported from Sector 38, Daria village, Sector 36, Sector 40, Hallomajra, and Maloya. Six individuals were stabbed, while one was bludgeoned to death at a park in Sector 40. On Jan 17, a 21-year-old youth was stabbed to death in Sector 38. The victim was on his way back after the hearing of a case at the district court in Sector 43. The next day, police arrested accused Krish alias Kasu, 19, and Aryan alias Honey, 18, residents of Dadumajra Colony, Sector 38, Chandigarh. Investigation revealed a long-standing feud between both parties. Earlier, they fought at Bapudham, Sector 17, and Sector 25.On Jan 22, 32-year-old Vivek alias Shanky, a resident of Sector 40, was found murdered at a park in Sector 40. He had been bludgeoned with a rock. His friend was arrested in the case. Maloya police also arrested two minors for allegedly stabbing an 18-year-old teenager to death near his residence on Jan 20.On Jan 29, 35-year-old auto driver, Arun Kumar Tiwari, was stabbed to death by another auto driver on the rooftop of a hotel in Daria village. Fifteen days later, Industrial Area Phase-1 police arrested the accused, Vishal Mishra.On Feb 5, cab driver, Sushil, a resident of Sector 20, was allegedly abducted from Deep Complex, Hallomajra. The next day, he was found murdered in Derabassi. Sector 31 police registered a case of murder and abduction and arrested five persons in the case.On Feb 21, 35-year-old Seema was stabbed to death by her neighbour at her rented house in Daria village. The accused, who lived on rent in the same complex, broke into the victim’s room and tried to rape her. When she resisted, he allegedly stabbed and bludgeoned her to death. The accused did not try to escape after the murder and was arrested. Another 23-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her spurned lover at the park in Sector 36 on the night of Feb 22. The victim turned down the marriage proposal of the accused, after which he slashed her neck with a knife. A few incidents of gunshots fired at a pharmacy and a builder’s house in sectors 32 and 21 were also reported on the night of Jan 15. The crime branch arrested four persons, including two shooters, in connection with the Sector 32 firing. Two shooters and their associate were arrested after an encounter in Sector 39. Both shooters received bullet injuries in the encounter and were admitted to GMSH-16 for treatment. However, no arrest was made in the case of firing at the builder’s house.In 2025, the city reported 26 stabbing deaths as compared to 22 in 2024. The UT police also recorded 14 cases of assault in which the assailants attacked complainants with knives and other sharp-edged weapons in the 2 months. Besides this, police arrested 13 people under the Arms Act, including criminals carrying knives, from different parts of the city so far.While talking to TOI, a senior police official said the maximum incidents of stabbings were reported from villages and rehabilitation colonies of the city. To avoid such incidents, police stations were already directed to set up nakas in their respective areas and check suspects. During these checks, police arrested several people carrying knives.
