The Crime in India Report 2023 by NCRB

The Crime in India Report 2023 by NCRB

Why in News?

The National Crime Records Bureau recently released the Crime in India Report 2023, which provides data on trends in violent crimes, caste-based offences, and financial frauds. The report reveals a 7% rise in overall crimes, totaling over 6.2 million cases.

Highlights of NCRB’s Crime in India 2023 Report

• Overall Crime: In 2023, India recorded a total of 6.24 million criminal cases, which marked a 7.2% increase compared to 2022. The overall crime rate rose to 448.3 per lakh population. This increase indicates that, on average, a crime occurred every five seconds in the country. Some traditional violent crimes showed slight declines, urban and cyber-related crimes surged sharply.

• Violent Crimes: Traditional violent crimes, including murders, rapes, and dowry-related deaths, showed a marginal decrease in 2023. India recorded 27,721 murders, reflecting a 2.8% decline from 2022. Crimes causing physical harm, ranging from minor hurt to grievous injury, rose by 2.3%, with 11.85 lakh cases reported.

• Cybercrime Surge: Cybercrime in India increased dramatically by 31.2% in 2023, with 86,420 cases reported. The majority of these offences involved fraud (68.9%), extortion (3.8%), and sexual exploitation (4.9%).

• The sharp rise is linked to rapid digitalization and insufficient cyber hygiene among citizens. 

• States like Karnataka, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of cybercrime cases. 

• • • Karnataka has emerged as a hotspot for cyber offences. In 2023, the state reported 21,889 cybercrime cases, a 74% increase from 2022. Financial losses due to cybercrime in Karnataka reached Rs. 2,915 crore in 2024, with Bengaluru contributing Rs. 1,806 crore.

• Bengaluru accounted for 17,631 cyber offences (77% rise), making it a hotspot for digital fraud.

• Metropolitan Crime: Urban centres and metropolitan cities experienced a notable rise in crime rates. The NCRB report indicated that metropolitan crime grew by 10.6% in 2023. Bengaluru recorded the highest number of cases at 68,250, followed by Chennai and Mumbai. Increasing urban population, better reporting systems, and the complexity of city life contribute to this rise.

• Farmer Suicides: According to the NCRB report 2023, more than 10,700 people linked to agriculture ended their lives. This group included 4,690 farmers who cultivated their own land and 6,096 agricultural labourers who worked on daily wages. Together, these suicides formed 6.3% of the total suicides in India.

• • • Maharashtra accounted for 38.5% of farmer suicides in 2023, the highest among all states. After Maharashtra, Karnataka (22.5%), Andhra Pradesh (8.6%) and Madhya Pradesh (7.2%). 

• Crimes Against Women: Crimes against women remained a pressing concern in 2023. NCRB recorded 4,48,211 cases, reflecting a marginal rise of 0.7% from 2022. Among these, domestic cruelty was the leading category, accounting for 29.8% of cases. Kidnapping and abduction of women followed at 19.8%, while assault intending to outrage modesty contributed 18.7% of reported offences. 

• States with the highest cases included Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. 

• While some states like Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra saw declines, Bihar and Tamil Nadu reported increases.

• Crimes Against SCs and STs: Crimes against marginalized communities showed mixed trends. Scheduled Castes (SCs) faced 57,789 reported crimes, with Uttar Pradesh leading at 15,130 cases. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh followed closely. Crimes against Scheduled Tribes (STs), however, increased sharply by 28.8%, totaling 12,960 cases. Manipur recorded the highest number of incidents due to ethnic conflicts between Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.

• Crimes Against Children: Children in India remain vulnerable to various forms of crime. In 2023, 1,77,335 cases involving children were reported, a 9.2% increase from the previous year. Kidnapping and abduction accounted for 45% of these cases, while violations under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act made up 38.2%.

• Financial Frauds: Law enforcement agencies identified money mules as a critical tool used by cybercriminals to transfer stolen funds. These accounts are often created using fake or borrowed identities, and banks sometimes fail to flag suspicious transactions.

• Forgery, cheating and fraud (FCF) reported 1,81,553 cases, Criminal breach of trust reported 22,759 cases and Counterfeiting reported 661 cases.

• Cryptocurrency: The unregulated cryptocurrency ecosystem has become a conduit for laundering cybercrime proceeds. Many cases involve converting stolen money into USDT or other digital assets before transferring to international syndicates. 

• Fake Currency: The NCRB report also recorded 3,51,656 counterfeit notes seized across the country in 2023. The total value of these fake notes stood at ₹16.86 crore.

• Among states and Union Territories, Delhi reported the highest number of fake currency cases, with a majority involving ₹2,000 denomination notes.

• • • Rajasthan seized 38,087 notes worth ₹1.9 crore, while Assam seized 37,240 notes worth ₹1.86 crore. 
    • Uttar Pradesh (₹13.11 lakh) emerged as the top state in seizing lower denomination fake notes, which included ₹200, ₹100, ₹50, and ₹20 notes. 

• Motor Vehicle Offences: Traffic-related offences have contributed significantly to the rising crime rate. In 2023, Motor Vehicle Act violations doubled, from 94,450 cases in 2022 to 1.92 lakh cases. Such violations include reckless driving, driving under influence, and hit-and-run incidents.

• Initiatives: NCRB highlighted that government initiatives strengthened cybercrime detection and reduced financial losses.

• Law enforcement agencies have integrated Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting Systems with the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal. 

• Platforms like Cybersafe allow real-time data sharing between police and fintech entities. 

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also revised KYC guidelines, mandated Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs), and implemented AI-driven solutions like Mulehunter.AI to detect fraudulent accounts. 

• Takeaways: The report underscores the evolving nature of crime in India, urging society and authorities to adapt to new challenges while continuing to address traditional forms of violence. Improved reporting mechanisms, real-time monitoring, and collaboration with the banking sector are essential to curb financial and cyber-related offences.