Dharamshala, May 9 -- Online fraud and cyber offences continued to rise in Himachal Pradesh in 2024 even as the state recorded a decline in total crime cases, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report has revealed. According to report, cybercrime cases increased from 77 in 2022 to 127 in 2023 and 148 in 2024. Himachal's cybercrime rate was recorded at 2 in 2024, while the charge-sheeting rate stood at 62.5%, the report reveals. Fraud related cases topped the list of cybercrime. Of the recorded 103 offences of computer-related crime, 98 cases are of cheating by impersonation. As per the data, a total of 114 cases were related to fraud and four of extortion in 2024. Other cyber offences included online cheating, unauthorised access to computer systems and misuse of digital communication platforms. The NCRB data revealed that the total number of criminal cases registered in 2024 dropped to 12,071 from 13,505 cases in 2023. In 2022, the total cases registered in Himachal were recorded at 13,231. The charge-sheeting rate in 2024 stands at 80.7%. As many as 5,844 cases were registered in 2024 under Special and Local Laws (SLL) during 2024, compared to 6,482 such cases registered a year earlier. Notably, Himachal recorded 2,091 violent crime cases in 2024 compared to 1,869 in 2023, and 1,858 in 2022, marking a steep increase from the previous two years. As many as 84 murder cases were reported in 2024 in the state. The rate of violent crime in Himachal stood at 27.8. Moreover, the report stated that Himachal recorded 1,605 cases of crimes against women in 2024, almost unchanged from 1,604 cases in 2023. The rate of crime against women stood at 43.3, while the charge-sheeting rate stood at 69.7%. According to the report, a total of 324 rape cases were reported in the state in 2024, which is lower than 344 such cases reported in 2023. The cases of crime against children also saw an increase to 794 in 2024, compared to 704 in 2023 and 740 recorded in 2022....