92% thefts in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai aren't reported; here's why

Only 6-8% of victims of theft in four major Indian cities lodged a first information report (FIR) with the police, according to a new study. The remaining 92-94% are not reflected in any official record.

Why does this happen? There are two reasons, according to the Safety Trends and Reporting of Crime (SATARC) survey conducted by a Mumbai based think-tank, IDFC Institute. One, because victims themselves refrained from approaching the police in certain cases. Two, because the police did not register the case for various reasons.