tHYDERABAD: Telangana and Hyderabad have emerged as hotspots for several high-profile crimes in 2023, topping national charts in categories ranging from forgery, adulterated food incidents to exploitation of trafficked persons, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The state recorded 347 cases under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 & 2015, the second highest in the country after Rajasthan, which registered 443 cases. However, Telangana had the highest crime rate in this category at three per one lakh population, compared to 1.6 per one lakh in Rajasthan. The state also stood third under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, 1986, with 168 cases and 202 victims, and recorded 3,702 cases under Children Related Acts.
19% increase in cybercrime
Telangana recorded a 19% increase in cybercrime cases in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to NCRB. A total of 18,236 cases were registered in 2023, up from 15,297 in 2022. However, the state’s charge-sheeting rate for cybercrime remained lower than the national average, at 20.9% compared to 33.7% nationwide.
Among cybercrimes, 263 cases were registered for cyberstalking and bullying women or children. Nearly half of the state’s cases for publishing fake news in 2023 were reported here, with 98 cases registered in Telangana compared to 209 cases nationwide. Meanwhile, the police disposed of a total of 11,682 cybercrime cases in the state during the year.
Telangana also topped the country in forgery, cheating, and fraud, with Hyderabad leading among 16 metropolitan cities. A total of 16,690 cases related to Section 420 (cheating) read with Sections 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), and 471 (using a forged document or electronic record as genuine) of the IPC and IT Act were registered, affecting 16,954 victims. Hyderabad alone reported 4,090 cases involving 4,203 victims.
The state also led in bank frauds, registering 1,897 cases affecting 1,900 victims, with Hyderabad topping the city tally. ATM thefts in Hyderabad accounted for 709 cases with 156 victims, while debit and credit card frauds were highest in Telangana, with 855 incidents affecting 861 victims, including 211 in Hyderabad. Offences relating to documents and property marks were also at the top, with 5,598 cases affecting 5,742 victims, all reported in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad also recorded the highest number of cases under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth or residence) and 153AA (punishment for knowingly carrying arms in a procession or taking part in mass drills with arms) of the IPC, with 47 cases registered. Other cities reported fewer cases: Coimbatore 26, Bengaluru 22, Pune 18, and Delhi 17.
However, farmer suicides in Telangana dipped significantly in 2023 compared to the previous year. While 178 farmers took their own lives in 2022, the number dropped to 56 in 2023. Of them, 54 were men and two were women.
TG ranked 5th in suicide rate
Meanwhile, Telangana ranked fifth in suicide rate in 2023, with a rate of 27.7. A total of 10,580 individuals died by suicide in the state that year, marking a 6% rise from 9,980 in 2022. Of those, 8,226 were men, 2,342 women and two transgender persons.
In addition, 7,660 persons died in road accidents.
leads in adulterated food cases too
Telangana reported the highest number of adulterated food or drug incidents in the country in 2023, according to a report published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). According to the data, the state accounted for 382 out of 565 cases reported nationwide, with 387 victims out of 587 across India.
Of the 382 cases, 218 were reported in Hyderabad. However, not a single case was booked under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, in 2023. In 2022, Telangana topped the country in adulteration cases. That year, 1,631 cases were reported with 1,635 victims. Of them, 246 cases were registered in Hyderabad.