VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh registered 46,726 cases under the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in 2024, up from 21,811 cases in 2023 and 15,881 cases in 2022, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) Crime in India 2024 report. The State recorded a railway crime rate of 87.5 cognisable cases per lakh population in 2024.
The report shows a sharp rise in the number of railway-related cases registered in the State over the past three years. Andhra Pradesh’s mid-year projected population for 2024 was estimated at 534 lakh.
Of the 46,726 cases registered during the year, 46,525 were booked under the Indian Railways Act, while 201 cases were registered under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act.
The Railway Protection Force arrested 47,016 people in connection with these cases. Of them, 46,598 were arrested under the Indian Railways Act and 418 under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act.
The RPF filed charge sheets in 38,096 cases involving 38,525 persons. This included 37,948 cases and 38,211 persons under the Indian Railways Act, and 148 cases involving 314 persons under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act.
According to the report, courts convicted 35,596 cases during 2024, leading to the conviction of 35,810 persons. Of these, 35,521 cases involving 35,704 persons were under the Indian Railways Act, while 75 cases involving 106 persons were under Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act.
Among the states, Andhra Pradesh recorded the ninth highest number of RPF cases in 2024. Maharashtra reported the highest number with 1,57,418 cases, followed by West Bengal (99,457), Uttar Pradesh (95,677), Gujarat (95,607), Bihar (79,815), Madhya Pradesh (72,228), Jharkhand (50,284) and Tamil Nadu (45,402).
The State also recorded the sixth highest railway crime rate in the country at 87.5 cases per lakh population. Gujarat topped the list with 131.6 cases per lakh population, followed by Jharkhand (125.3), Maharashtra (123.3), Chhattisgarh (116.8) and West Bengal (99.7), according to the NCRB report.