HYDERABAD: In 2022, Hyderabad witnessed a concerning surge in juvenile crime, recording a 52 per cent increase compared to 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. Among the metropolitan cities, while others saw a decline or a slight increase in such cases, Hyderabad faced a significant spike.
NCRB’s data revealed that 30,555 juvenile crimes were committed in 2022, of these, 1,096 cases were registered in Telangana and 300 cases were registered in Hyderabad alone.As compared to other metropolitan cities, the number of cases is not a lot in Hyderabad. However, the percentage increase in reported crimes is alarmingly higher than the previous two years.
Hyderabad reported 300 juvenile crime cases in 2022, up from 197 cases in 2021 and 172 in 2020. In other words, Hyderabad has seen a 74 per cent increase in juvenile cases as compared to 2020. The last time the city faced a similar surge was in 2019, tallying 350 cases.
Most of the cases registered against juveniles were on the charges of theft, offences against property, causing physical hurt, burglary, forgery and rash driving. Statistics indicate that the trends have been similar in 2021 as well.
In 2022, a total of 333 juveniles were apprehended, including those whose cases were pending in the previous year. All the cases that were investigated found that the juveniles were guilty.Last year alone, the police sent home 249 juveniles after advice or admonition and sent 59 of them to special homes.
