India recorded 58.85 lakh crimes in 2024, a six percent decline from 62.41 lakh cases reported in 2023, the National Crime Records Bureau announced Wednesday. The crime rate dropped from 448.3 to 418.9 cases per lakh population during the same period.

Kerala led states in crime resolution with chargesheets filed in 94.5 percent of cases, followed by Puducherry at 91 percent and West Bengal at 90.6 percent. Overall, 26.72 lakh persons were arrested under IPC and Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, with over 10.71 lakh convictions recorded.

Hurt-related cases fell 30.58 percent from 6.36 lakh to 4.41 lakh, a decline attributed to the 2023 Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita reforms that merged IPC sections and made simple hurt a non-cognizable offense. Murder cases decreased 2.4 percent to 27,049, while kidnapping cases dropped 15.4 percent to 96,079.

Crime against women declined 1.5 percent to 4.41 lakh cases, though crimes against children rose 5.9 percent to 75,108 cases. Cybercrime surged 17.9 percent to over 1.01 lakh cases, and economic offences increased 4.6 percent to 2.14 lakh cases.

The bureau noted crimes against Scheduled Castes fell 3.6 percent and against Scheduled Tribes dropped 23.1 percent. Officials stated the annual report will inform policy reviews for 2025.