More than 56% of vehicle thefts in India occur just in Delhi-NCR: Report

Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) account for more than 56 per cent of vehicle thefts in the country. In comparison, India's second-most car theft-prone city--Bengaluru--accounts for 9 per cent, followed by Chennai at 5 per cent, Livemint reported on Monday.

According to a report by ACKO, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Kolkata have emerged as cities with the least number of vehicle thefts in the country.

The report said that between 2011 and 2020, more than 300,000 vehicles were stolen in the national capital. Citing Delhi Police data, a car is stolen every 12 minutes in the national capital.

Between 2012 and 2021, the increase in vehicle thefts in New Delhi was 103 per cent, compared to the rise in vehicular population, which was only around 56 per cent, it added.

The most theft-prone areas in Delhi are Rohini, Bhajanpura, Uttam Nagar, Sector 12 Noida, South City I, Gurugram, Dayalpur and Sultanpuri.

According to the report, India's most popular hatchbacks, the Maruti Wagon R and Maruti Swift, were tied for first place as the most stolen cars, closely followed by Hyundai Creta. Hyundai Santro, Honda City and Hyundai i10 were in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Regarding two-wheelers, India's top-selling motorbike, the Hero Splendor, took first place as the most stolen bike in Delhi.

As per Acko, the top three reasons why thefts happen in Delhi are the parking space issue, the thriving second-hand market for cars, and the proximity that Delhi shares with the borders of other states enables motor criminals to make quick getaways.

According to the rules, if a vehicle is not found even after 21 days, an untraced report is sent automatically to the insurance company for claim settlement. Police issue a non-traceable certificate if they fail to trace the vehicle. After this, the insurance company will settle your claim per the insurance policy's terms and conditions.

Leading insurers provide two types of insurance policies: third-party and comprehensive policies.

Speaking to Outlook India in August, Sanjiv Bajaj, chairman and managing director of Bajaj Capital, said car theft and personal accident damages are covered under a comprehensive policy. 

"A comprehensive policy is required if you want insurance that covers stolen vehicles," he added.