MUMBAI, Oct. 1 -- The data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has revealed that while the overall crime rate reduced in Mumbai between 2022 and 2023, it increased considerably in Pune and Nagpur during the same period. The number of crimes registered in Mumbai dropped from 69,289 in 2022 to 44,873 in 2023, while the other metro cities, Pune (12,542 cases in 2023 from 11,074 in 2022) and Nagpur (17,297 cases in 2023 from 12,889 in 2022) witnessed an upward spiral. Although the data shows that crime went down, Mumbai still topped the list among the country's metros for online cheating and forgery and had the highest pendency of cybercrimes. The state capital also ranked second in terms of using the internet for cyberstalking and bullying of women in 2023. The statistics which were uploaded on NCRB on its website on Tuesday revealed that cheating cases increased by 1.7 percent in 2023. Job frauds also showed an increase by 303.8 percent, from 106 cases in 2022 to 428 cases in 2023. According to the report, the number of cases registered under cybercrimes saw an increase to 86,420 cases registered in 2023 from 65,893 cases recorded in 2022. Fake social media profiles in Mumbai also showed an increase by 30 percent, email spoofing by 55.3 percent and data theft by 17.6 percent. Meanwhile, bank card fraud cases decreased in the city by 11.9 percent, obscene emails by 38 percent, communal posts by 16.7 percent, and sextortion by 33.3 percent. The data also showed that the crime-solving rate in Mumbai increased to 76 percent in 2023 from 68 percent in 2022. Crimes against women and children declined by 2.5 percent and 2.1 percent respectively from 6,176 in 2022 to 6,025 in 2023. Mumbai ranked second in the country after Delhi with 13,366 cases in 2023 with Bengaluru at Number 3 with 4,870 cases recorded in 2023. Crime against senior citizens too witnessed a dip by nine percent in Mumbai in 2023. However, the city still ranked third in this category, with 518 cases in 2023 compared to Delhi's 1,361 cases and Bengaluru's 649 cases. Experts said that although body crimes had decreased in Mumbai, cyber and economic offenses remained a matter of concern. "Corruption and extortion is also something that the police department should take seriously," said an RTI activist. When contacted, senior police officers gave credit to a large network of CCTVs across the city and technical support of call data records and mobile-tracing systems for the increase in crime-solving. "Citizens have been forthcoming in registering complaints and keeping tabs on the investigation, prompting faster detection," said an officer. "We have also been taking preventive action against history-sheeters and engaging in regular combing operations which have helped in lowering the crime rate."...