HYDERABAD: Telangana reported a 9.87% increase in crime during 2024, with a total of 2.34 lakh cases registered, compared to 2.13 lakh in 2023.
Releasing the Annual Report-2024 of the Police department on Sunday, Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Jitender said that Cybercrime incidents rose by 43.3%, with 25,184 cases reported in 2024, up from 17,151 cases in 2023. The police traced and refunded Rs 180 crore to victims, a 2,060% increase from Rs 89 crore in 2023, the DGP stated.
He revealed that Rs 247 crore in bank accounts was frozen in 2024, compared to Rs 128 crore the previous year. The police blocked 14,984 SIM cards, 9,811 IMEIs, and 1,825 websites linked to cybercrime offenders.
The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB), established last year, registered 1,942 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) cases in 2024, compared to 1,366 cases in 2023. Properties worth Rs 55.8 crore were frozen in 10 NDPS cases, with 122 cases under process for freezing orders, the DGP stated.
He stated that murder-for-gain cases increased from 59 in 2023 to 83 in 2024, a spike of 40.6%. Likewise, murder cases increased from 789 in 2023 to 856 in 2024. While 42 dacoity cases were reported in 2023, 58 were reported in 2024, a 38% spike.
Culpable homicide cases spiked from 171 to 222, kidnapping cases from 1,362 to 1,525 and cheating cases increased by 10,622 cases from 2023 to 2024.
Dr Jitender said that road accidents decreased by 2,789 cases, with 20,702 incidents reported in 2024 compared to 23,491 in 2023. Deaths from road accidents saw a slight reduction of 1.49%, from 6,640 in 2023 to 6,541 in 2024.
Cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act increased to 2,257 in 2024 from 1,877 in 2023. Compensation of Rs 3.56 crore was paid to victims in 766 cases, the DGP disclosed.
However, 28,477 cases resulted in convictions in 2024, down from 39,371 in 2023. Among these, 33 accused were awarded life imprisonment, while 43 were sentenced to 20 years in jail. Since the implementation of new criminal laws in July 2024, 85,190 cases have been booked, including 1,313 Zero FIRs, Dr Jitender said.
The state witnessed minimal major law-and-order incidents, barring the Jainoor violence and a a flare-up over a flag installation in Vikarabad.
Dr Jitender described the overall situation as largely peaceful.
