Bhubaneswar, Jan 1 (PTI) Crime cases in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar increased, while they declined in neighbouring Cuttack city last year compared to 2023," a senior police officer said on Wednesday.

Talking to reporters, police commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh said 21,613 cases were registered in the twin cities in 2024 as against 19,410 in 2023.

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While murder, swindling, motor vehicle-related cases saw an increase, other crimes like dacoity, robbery, burglary, theft, rape, and rioting declined in the twin cities, he said.

The increase is attributed to "the implementation of free registration policies, encouraging victims to report incidents without hesitation, and the rise in miscellaneous cases or petty crimes," he said.

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Singh said a total of 14,392 cases were registered in Bhubaneswar urban police district (UPD), compared to 11,975 in 2023.

"Murder and swindling cases in the capital city increased by 26.92 per cent and 30.75 per cent, respectively. However, the crime graph for incidents like dacoity, robbery, burglary, theft, and rioting showed a decline in Bhubaneswar," the police commissioner said.

"A total of 7,263 cybercrime cases involving cheating of Rs 82.53 crore were reported in Bhubaneswar city last year. In 2023, the city recorded 4,832 cybercrime cases involving duping of Rs 42.61 crore," police data said.

While investigating the cybercrime cases, Bhubaneswar police arrested 38 persons, froze Rs 23.60 crore, and returned Rs 2.50 crore to the victims.

Crime cases in Cuttack, however, was relatively lower last year compared to 2023. The city recorded 7,221 cases in 2024 compared to 7,435 in 2023. "Excluding theft and dacoity cases, all other crime cases in Cuttack declined," police data added.

During the year, 13,928 cases were closed in Bhubaneswar and 5,837 in Cuttack, it added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)