Delhi Crime

Delhi Crime follows the investigators in Delhi as they work through complex, high-profile criminal cases. The series centers on Vartika Chaturvedi, a steady, determined officer balancing procedural detail with emotional fallout, while her colleagues handle forensics, interviews, and public scrutiny. Each season draws on a mix of real headlines and fictional elements to build tightly focused case files, showing police work as slow, methodical, often messy labor rather than neat breakthroughs. The show pays attention to the victims and to the limits of institutions, keeping the spotlight on investigation techniques, chain of command, and how publicity changes the shape of justice without revealing plot twists or final outcomes.

Created by Richie Mehta, Delhi Crime premiered in 2019 on Netflix. The series was developed from reporting and public accounts of major crimes in the city, and it combines documentary-style detail with scripted drama across its seasons.

Season 1 won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series, a notable global recognition for an Indian show. Lead performances attracted festival attention and helped bring international viewers to a story rooted in local realities.

The show sparked renewed public conversation about policing, victim support systems, and urban safety in India. Several scenes, and particularly Shefali Shah’s measured lead performance, became reference points in media discussions, influencing how subsequent Indian series depicted law enforcement and institutional response.

Critics generally praised the series for its procedural rigor, restrained tone, and focus on institutional dynamics, while some viewers found the material hard to watch because of its seriousness. Major themes include accountability, trauma, and the pressures of working within a bureaucracy under intense public scrutiny, with storytelling that emphasizes process, moral ambiguity, and the human cost of high-profile investigations.