New Delhi, May 6 (PTI) Economic offences in Delhi saw a marginal decline in 2024 compared to the previous two years, even as the city recorded the highest property losses among all Union territories, according to the National Crime Records Bureau data released on Wednesday.

Delhi registered 4,524 cases of economic offences in 2024, down from 4,586 in 2023 and 5,016 in 2022. The rate of total economic offences stood at 20.7 cases per lakh population.

Cases related to forgery, cheating and fraud formed the bulk of the offences, accounting for 4,237 of the total 4,524 cases recorded during the year. The number of criminal breach of trust cases stood at 254, while counterfeiting cases were 33.

NCRB data showed Delhi suffered massive financial losses under multiple economic offence heads. Under criminal breach of trust, the total property loss stood at Rs 219 crore, the highest among Union territories.

The category included 35 cases involving losses in the Rs 10-50 lakh range, six cases in Rs 50 lakh-1 crore, three cases in Rs 1-10 crore and 19 cases in the Rs 10-25 crore range. Under forgery, cheating and fraud, Delhi recorded property losses amounting to Rs 3,572 crore -- again the highest among Union territories.

This category included 673 cases involving losses in the Rs 10-50 lakh range, 296 cases in Rs 50 lakh-1 crore, 126 cases in Rs 1-10 crore, 22 cases in Rs 10-25 crore and one case in the Rs 50-100 crore bracket.

Overall, Delhi recorded 3,791 economic offences involving property loss across categories. Of these, 708 cases involved losses in the Rs 10-50 lakh range, 300 cases in Rs 50 lakh-1 crore, 129 cases in Rs 1-10 crore, 41 cases in Rs 10-25 crore and one case in the Rs 50-100 crore bracket. Investigation data showed that 16,917 economic offence cases were pending from previous years, while 4,524 fresh cases were registered in 2024, taking the total number of cases requiring investigation to 21,441. No cases were reopened during the year.

A total of 1,141 cases were transferred to other states or agencies during investigation.

Final reports were filed in 2,040 cases, including 233 cases found false, four cases closed due to mistake of fact, mistake of law or civil disputes, 1,804 cases classified as true but with insufficient evidence, untraced or with no clue, and three cases that abated during investigation.

Police arrested 3,930 persons in connection with economic offences during the year, including 3,840 men and 90 women. Meanwhile, 3,651 persons were charge-sheeted, including 3,603 men and 48 women. PTI SGV PRK PRK

Economic offences show a marginal decline in Delhi as property losses remain highest among Union territories. Economic offences in Delhi recorded a marginal decline in 2024, but the city continued to report the highest property losses among Union territories. Forgery, cheating and fraud formed the bulk of cases, followed by criminal breach of trust and counterfeiting. NCRB data also showed a large pipeline of pending and fresh cases, with investigations resulting in transfers, final reports, arrests and charge-sheets across multiple offence heads.