PANAJI: Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao alleged that Goa is increasingly being labelled a “crime capital”, claiming that rising crime cases and low conviction rates reflect a failure of law and order. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, however, cited 965 convictions recorded between 2021 and 2025.
Chaos erupted in the Assembly as the Opposition questioned the government over the rise in crime, particularly cybercrime. Alemao said reported cybercrime cases had increased from 32 in 2021 to 120 and alleged that there had been no convictions in several major crime categories over the past five years.
Questioning the Chief Minister over the government’s response to the rising crime rate, Alemao asked what measures were being taken to strengthen law enforcement.
Sawant, in response, cited conviction figures between 2021 and 2025, including four murder cases, three attempt-to-murder cases, 14 rape cases, 41 narcotics cases, 83 gambling cases and two cybercrime cases.
“145 cybercrime cases had been detected, with two convictions so far, while the remaining cases were under trial. Crime rates between 2007 and 2011 were significantly higher than those recorded over the past 15 years, and the overall crime graph in Goa had declined since 2011,” said Sawant
Alemao, however, reiterated that cases were increasing while convictions were declining and questioned the government’s measures to improve the conviction rate.
He also raised concerns over the uneven deployment of police personnel, claiming that Mopa Police Station had a higher staff strength despite comparatively fewer crimes, while stations in Curtorim, Margao, Colva and Vasco, where he said crime levels were higher, faced a shortage of personnel.
