Overall crime rate dips in Hyderabad in 2021

Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that the number of cases registered during 2021 were 20,012 as against 22,641 in 2020, while 25,187 cases were registered in 2019.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad witnessed reduction in overall crime in 2021 compared to the previous year, a top police official said on Wednesday.

The number of cases registered during 2021 were 20,012 as against 22,641 in 2020, while 25,187 cases were registered in 2019, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar told reporters here.

However, the overall cases of crime against women increased to 2,393 this year, (with harassment and outraging of modesty instances seeing higher reporting) as against 1,908 in last year.

The number of rape cases went up to 328 in 2021 from 265. Most of the offenders were in the circle of trust (among known people to the victim on the pretext of love, promise to marry and then not marrying) of the victim and only in seven cases the accused were unknown, police said.

Of the 328 incidents reported, 228 were with respect to minors and of this in 75 per cent of cases the victims were in the age group of 15 to 18 years. Ease of reporting and access to policing is helping women come forward with their grievances, police said.

The cases registered under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act also increased to 357 as against 211 cases reported in 2020.

According to the Commissioner, there is a significant decrease in occurrence of bodily and property offences like dacoity, culpable homicide, robbery, chain snatchings, house break, thefts and other crimes.

Property crime detection is 63 per cent and recovery is 54 per cent, Kumar said.

Decrease in overall crime rate is attributed to measures including initiation of Preventive Detention (PD) Act against 205 notorious repeat offenders, continuous criminal tracking system and installation of CCTV cameras, he said.

Though, Cyber crime cases rose sharply with around 5,646 cases registered in 2021, police said.

With regard to instant app-based lenders accused of harassing borrowers over repayment, police said 22 accused including one Chinese national were arrested, even as five more cases were registered in the last 15 days. Similarly, 16 cases were registered over fraud pertaining to crypto currencies, police added.

PTI