Crime Patrol is an Indian Hindi-language crime anthology television series that has aired on Sony Entertainment Television. Conceived as a dramatised reconstruction of real-life crimes reported from across India, the series is among the longest-running programmes of its kind on Indian television. It is hosted on-screen by actor Anup Soni for most of its run, with later seasons featuring other anchors.
| Title | Crime Patrol |
|---|---|
| Genre | Crime anthology, docudrama |
| Original language | Hindi |
| Original network | Sony Entertainment Television |
| Original release | 2003 onwards |
| Production company | Optimystix Entertainment |
| Notable host | Anup Soni |
| Earlier hosts | Shakti Anand, Divya Dutta |
| Country of origin | India |
Each episode of Crime Patrol dramatises a criminal case purportedly drawn from police records or news reports, presenting the sequence of events, the investigation, and its outcome. The show is presented as a public-awareness format, with the host introducing the case, providing commentary between sequences, and concluding with reflections on social context, vulnerabilities exploited by criminals, and lessons for viewers.
The cases dramatised include murders, kidnappings, frauds, cybercrimes, sexual offences, dowry-related crimes, and crimes involving family disputes. Sub-formats over the years have included Crime Patrol Dial 100, Crime Patrol Satark, Crime Patrol Dastak, and Crime Patrol 2.0, each focusing on different presentation styles or thematic groupings.
The series is produced by Optimystix Entertainment, a Mumbai-based production house. It was launched on Sony Entertainment Television in 2003 as a weekly programme. After an initial run, the show was relaunched in expanded form, eventually becoming a multi-night fixture on the channel's primetime schedule. Episodes typically run for about 40–45 minutes and are shot largely on location in and around Mumbai, with some sequences filmed in other Indian cities depending on the case being depicted.
Most episodes follow a self-contained narrative structure:
Some cases are spread over two or more episodes when the underlying investigation is complex. Names of individuals and locations are commonly altered in the dramatisation, with disclaimers indicating that the depiction is fictionalised.
The series has had a notable presence in Indian primetime television and is frequently cited alongside Savdhaan India as a defining example of the Indian crime-reconstruction genre. It has been credited with bringing public attention to issues such as cyber fraud, trafficking, and crimes against women and children, while also drawing criticism from some observers for sensational depictions and the potential influence of dramatisation on public perception of crime.
Anup Soni's understated hosting style and concluding monologues became a recognisable feature of Indian television in the 2010s, often parodied and referenced in popular culture. The show has also been a launchpad for many actors who later moved to leading roles in Hindi cinema and television, since each episode requires a fresh ensemble cast.