The city sees the most number of cheating cases when compared to other cities in Kerala.
The statistics released by the National Crime Records Bureau indicated that property worth more than Rs. 120 crore had been reported lost in Kerala in the more than 4,800 cheating cases registered in 2013. Of these, as many as 521 cases of cheating were reported in Kochi, compared to 352 cases in Thrissur and 240 cases in Thiruvananthapuram during the same period.
“The number of cheating cases is very high here compared to other cities in Kerala. There have been a lot of scams in which people made away with lakhs of rupees after promising apartments in the city or fake recruitment agents promising jobs and visas,” said City police commissioner K.G. James.
The statistics also showed that the number of crimes registered under the Indian Penal Code had fallen in the city by 22.2 per cent last year. While over 17,000 crimes had been registered under the IPC in Kochi in 2012, fewer than 14,000 cases were registered in 2013. “The city police try to take quick action when a case is reported to deter crime. We also focus on taking preventive action to bring down the crime rate in the city,” Commissioner James said.
The statistics also showed that more than 99 per cent of persons arrested in Kerala in 2013 were first-time offenders. The figure of recurring offenders in Kerala is also among the lowest in the country.
Kochi also registered the highest number of crimes among cities in Kerala last year. Over 13,000 crimes were registered in the city last year under the IPC, compared to over 10,000 crimes in Thiruvananthapuram and about 7,700 cases in Kollam. The commissioner said that the high number of crimes was only natural considering Kochi’s population and size when compared to other cities.
The city saw an increasing number of cases of rape, molestation, robbery, and cheating in 2013 when compared to the previous year.
