Quarrel-related calls reduce by 32% on Holi, shows Delhi Police data

Fewer quarrels were reported from across the city this Holi with Delhi Police data accessed by HT showing a 32% reduction in such quarrel-related distress calls received at the police control room on March 17-18, as against the number of cases reported during the festival last year.

In 2021, during the two-day Holi festival on March 28 and 29, the police control room received 14,371 calls, of which 7,331 were related to incidents of quarrel. This year, the police control room received 11,614 calls, of which only 4,928 were related to incidents of quarrel on March 17 and 18.

Delhi police said the total number of distress calls also reduced by nearly 20% despite Delhi celebrating two festivals -- Holi and Shab-e-Baraat -- on March 18 this year.

Police data also showed that most quarrels happened in outer north Delhi this year, as against south Delhi last year.

Last year, the police control room received 711 quarrel-related calls from south Delhi during Holi and Dhulendi. The number dropped to 392 this year in south Delhi.

The police’s south district stretches from Fatehpur Beri to Lodhi Colony and includes places in between such as Hauz Khas, CR Park and Defence Colony.

Deputy commissioner of police (south) Benita Mary Jaiker attributed the reduction to proper deployment of police force in all sensitive areas. “Additionally, we have also launched awareness drive in different localities of the district to avoid heated arguments during the festival as it often results in hooliganism,” she said.

At 562, the outer north police district registered the most number of quarrel-related calls this year, but this is much lower than last year’s 706.

DCP (outer north) Brijendra Kumar Yadav said, “The number is less compared to last year despite the fact that there were two festivals on both days this year. We had made elaborate arrangements, to avert any mishap in all the areas falling in our eight police stations.”

Outer North police station includes places such as Alipur, Narela, Samaypur Badli and Swaroop Nagar.

Delhi police officers said that the control room usually receives a high volume of calls related to quarrel on Holi.

Dependra Pathak, the special commissioner (law and order) of Delhi Police, attributed the drop in hooliganism to increased police presence on ground, alertness, due preparation and community engagement.

“Encouragement by senior formations with even the Commissioner of Police in the field ensured seamless arrangements on ground. It not only boosted the morale of the police force but also gave a widespread message that the police will not tolerate any nonsense,” he said.