Tirunelveli police report 21% drop in murder cases in 2024, with major crime crackdown
TIRUNELVELI: Tirunelveli district police announced a 21% decrease in murder cases in 2024 from 2023 here on Thursday. Of the 106 accused persons arrested in murder cases during the year, 69 were detained under the Goondas Act. The police prevented 17 planned murders and arrested 85 individuals involved.
In an annual crime report, the police revealed that they conducted 13,914 foot-patrols in villages prone to caste tensions. "Awareness campaigns were organised in 94 schools to prevent caste-related conflicts among students. Police personnel regularly visited educational institutions, conducted monthly awareness programmes, and collaborated with the education and revenue departments to foster communal harmony.
"The police solved 60% of property crimes and arrested around 915 accused. Stolen property worth Rs 2.6 crore was recovered. The Goondas Act was invoked against 18 individuals involved in the cases. Additionally, the police cracked down on sand smuggling, and registered cases against 132 individuals and seized 80 vehicles used in illegal operations. As many as 203 accused persons involved in various crimes were detained under Goondas in 2024," the report said.
Efforts to tackle crimes against women and children were also intensified. In cases under the Pocso Act, 100 accused were arrested, and eight individuals were convicted with sentences extending up to 20 years. Fatal road accidents saw a decline by 18%. Stringent actions were taken in drug-related crimes, with 259 accused arrested in ganja cases, and 64.9 kg of ganja was seized, the report said.
Police also confiscated 48 vehicles and froze 46 bank accounts linked to the crimes. Similarly, 351 individuals were arrested in gutkha-related cases, and contraband weighing 916.96 kg was seized. The police registered cases against 31 individuals for spreading hateful or casteist remarks online and installed 1,685 new CCTV cameras to enhance surveillance, the report said.