<p>This study examines the relationship between road infrastructure and crime in rural India using two rounds of the nationally representative India Human Development Survey. Our analysis reveals that roads in rural regions reduce crime. On exploring the pathways, we find that provisioning of public bus services, a higher number of daily commuters and higher likelihood of being employed are a few of the potential channels through which road infrastructure impedes crime. Finally, our study highlights that the negative impact of roads on crime is driven by states with lower police strength, lower chargesheeting rate, higher population density and by states performing better in terms of public employment programs. The findings underscore the positive spillover effects of investment in road infrastructure in a developing economy context.</p>