Mumbai tops metros in reporting economic offences in 2022: NCRB data

India's financial capital Mumbai recorded 6,960 cases of economic offences in 2022, the highest in any metro city, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Cases of cyber crime also jumped in Mumbai to 4,724 last year from 2,883 in 2021, showed the data compiled by the NCRB, which is part of the Union home ministry. Hyderabad, with 6,015 cases of economic offences last year, was ranked second followed by Delhi (5007) on the third spot, as per the report.

Among the total economic offences registered in Mumbai, 1,093 were of criminal breach of trust, whereas forgery, cheating and fraud cases stood at 5,855, it said. As per an analysis of the loss of property in metropolitan cities in 2022 due to criminal breach of trust, at least 18 cases were of amounts between Rs 10 crore and Rs 15 crore, 7 between Rs 25 crore and Rs 50 crore, 6 between Rs 50 crore and Rs 100 crore and one was above Rs 100 crore. In terms of registration of cyber crimes, Maharashtra was at the fourth spot with 8,249 such cases in 2022, while the list was topped by Telangana which recorded 15,297 FIRs under the category of online offences, according to the NCRB report.

Karnataka, with 12,556 cyber crime cases last year, was at the second spot, while Uttar Pradesh (10,117) occupied the third position, it said. Among the cases registered under cyber crime head in Maharashtra, 581 were of cyber stalking or bullying of women and children (section 354D of IPC), 2,202 of fraud and 275 of fraud with credit/ debit cards and four were related to online abetment of suicide, the report mentioned. Of the cases registered under cyber crime head in Maharashtra, at least 66 involved personal revenge, 38 were of emotional motives like anger, 5,515 related to fraud, 129 of extortion, 31 of causing disrepute and 787 of sexual exploitation, it said.

Out of the total cyber crime cases recorded in the state last year, 2,530 were committed against women, which included 578 offences of cyber stalking/bullying, the report added. When it came to reporting cyber crimes in metropolitan cities in 2022, Mumbai was at the second spot with 4,724 cases registered with police.

Bengaluru topped the list with 9,940 cases of cyber crime, while Hyderabad (4436) was on the third spot, it said. Cases of cyber crime have been increasing in the financial capital in the last three years, rising from 2,433 in 2020 to 2,883 in 2021 and to 4,724 in 2022, stated the report.