Unveiling Delhi's 19th-century criminal past through police archives

Delhi Police has uploaded "antique FIRs" from the 1800s on their website, revealing the earliest crimes reported in the city. The records provide insights into the lives of people during a period of British rule and upheaval. Most of the complaints involve petty thefts, such as stolen oranges and bedsheets. The crimes, although relatively benign, offer a glimpse into the unique policing system of that time. The records were discovered in the Delhi Police Museum and were translated from the Urdu shikastah script by a team led by Assistant Commissioner Rajendra Singh Kalkal.