Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: At least 32,602 cases were lodged for crimes against senior citizens (aged above 60) in 2024, showing a rise of 16.9% in registration over 2023 (27,886 cases), according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data Overall, 27,049 cases of murder were registered during 2024 against 27,721 cases lodged in 2023. Personal enmity and disputes were the prime motives, besides murder for gains. During 2024, 96,079 cases of kidnapping and abduction were registered, showing a decrease of 15.4% over 2023 (1.13 lakh cases). Of the total crimes, 35.4 lakh cases were filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC)and the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) , which was rolled out in 2024, and 23.4 lakh cases were lodged under special and local laws. NCRB also released data of crimes comparing 19 metropolitan cities and stated that 8.4 lakh cognisable crimes were committed in 2024, a dip of 10.9% over 2023 (9.4 lakh cases). A total of 1,987 cases of murder were registered in these cities during 2024, showing a decline of 0.8% over 2023 (2,004 cases). Data also shows that 8.21 lakh fake Indian currency notes with face value Rs 54.6 crore were seized during 2024. On the enforcement side, the authorities managed to seize 3.62 lakh kg of explosives, including RDX and TNT, compared to 10 lakh kg in 2023. Data shows that 55,698 cases were registered in crimes against scheduled castes (SCs), showing a decrease of 3.6% over 2023 (57,789 cases). As many as 9,966 cases were registered for crimes against scheduled tribes (STs), showing a decrease of 23.1% over 2023 (12,960 cases). With 63,564 cases, there was a decline in cases of the Arms Act in 2024 over 73,388 cases in 2023. There was also a sharp drop in cases of “hurt” but the report clarified it may be linked to legal changes introduced under the BNS which made it anon-cognisable offence.
