Crime Rate in Hyderabad Increases in 2024
Hyderabad city witnessed a significant rise in crime in 2024, with 35,944 cases registered compared to 25,488 in 2023, marking a 41% increase. The surge was observed across property crimes, bodily crimes, cybercrimes, financial frauds, and crimes against women. Cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act also increased from 371 in 2023 to 449 in 2024.
Annual Report Highlights
While presenting the 2024 annual report, Hyderabad Police Commissioner CV Anand described the year as largely peaceful despite major events like Parliamentary elections and the Telangana State Assembly elections in December 2023. He attributed the increase in cases to registering more FIRs for smaller thefts, such as mobile phones and bikes, as well as all accident cases. Simple hurt cases also rose by 30%, contributing to the higher numbers.
Rise in Bodily and Financial Crimes
The number of cases under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and Special and Local Laws (SLL) increased to 28,005 in 2024 from 23,708 in 2023. Bodily crimes saw a sharp rise, with 8,447 cases in 2024 compared to 5,098 in 2023. Grave bodily crimes increased from 563 cases in 2023 to 700 in 2024. However, murders declined by 13%, with 77 cases in 2024 compared to 89 in 2023, and attempted murders decreased from 274 cases to 214.
Cheating cases slightly increased to 5,303 in 2024 compared to 5,250 in 2023, while robbery cases saw a significant jump from 101 in 2023 to 219 in 2024.
Property and Women-Related Crimes
Property offences rose sharply, with 5,328 cases registered in 2024 compared to 3,551 in 2023. Grave property crimes increased to 315 cases from 213, while non-grave property crimes rose to 5,013 from 3,338. However, the detection rate for property crimes dropped to 59% in 2024 from 67% in 2023.
Crimes against women increased marginally by 2%, with 2,482 cases reported in 2024 compared to 2,424 in 2023. Cases under the Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act for crimes against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes also saw a slight rise, with 175 cases in 2024 compared to 172 in the previous year.
Decline in Road Accidents
On a positive note, road accidents in Hyderabad saw a decline in 2024. The number of deaths dropped from 335 in 2023 to 227 in 2024. Drunken driving cases, however, increased, with 52,080 cases reported compared to 43,940 in 2023. The police conducted awareness campaigns, counseling over 53,091 offenders, educating 80,125 family members, and reaching out to 33,766 students in schools and colleges.
Election-Related Offences
During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Hyderabad police seized Rs 10.51 crore in cash, liquor worth Rs 61.69 lakh, and drugs valued at Rs 1.31 crore. Precious metals worth Rs 6.23 crore were also confiscated. A total of 113 Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation cases and 279 poll violence cases were registered.
The Commissioner highlighted that the Shahalibanda police station was ranked the 8th best in the country by the Ministry of Home Affairs, while the Hyderabad city police secured the top position at the state-level police duty meet.
Surge in Cybercrimes
Cybercrimes in Hyderabad surged drastically in 2024, with financial losses reaching Rs 385 crore, a 91% increase from Rs 172 crore in 2023. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) recorded 25,831 cases from the city in 2024 compared to 21,878 in 2023. Thanks to timely reporting, Rs 50.6 crore was put on hold.
The detection rate for cybercrimes improved, rising from 9.58% in 2023 to 12.68% in 2024. Over 500 cybercriminals were arrested, up from 413 in 2023. The Hyderabad Cyber Crime police station registered 4,042 cases, with trading fraud being the costliest crime at Rs 136.66 crore across 563 cases. Other significant crimes included customs fraud (Rs 61.29 crore), OTP fraud (Rs 10.20 crore), and customer care scams.
Final Remarks
Despite the rise in crime statistics, the Hyderabad police made efforts to improve detection rates and engage with communities to raise awareness. Commissioner CV Anand emphasized the need for continued vigilance and collaboration to ensure public safety in the city.
