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Pune records 71% rise in economic offences over 3 years
Pune's economic offences surged by 71% from 2021 to 2023, with 1,207 cases reported in 2023, highlighting rising financial crime challenges.
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PUNE: Pune has witnessed a sharp surge in economic offences over the past three years, with cases rising by 71% between 2021 and 2023, according to the latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The city reported 705 cases of economic offences in 2021. The number went up to 1,023 in 2022 and further increased to 1,207 in 2023. Officials said the steady rise reflects the growing challenge of financial crimes such as cheating, fraud, criminal breach of trust and forgery.
According to NCRB, Pune registered an economic offences rate of 23.9 in 2023 and achieved a chargesheeting rate of 97.3 per cent, placing it third among metropolitan cities. Only Patna with 97.7 per cent and Kolkata with 97.4 per cent were ahead of Pune. The pendency rate of economic offences in the city was recorded at 78.6 per cent.
Under the category of financial loss, Pune reported 75 cases of property loss under ₹1 lakh, 589 cases of losses between ₹1 lakh and ₹10 lakh, and 230 cases involving losses between ₹10 lakh and ₹50 lakh. In 2023, while 1,207 fresh cases were registered, another 1,068 were pending investigation from the previous year, taking the total number of cases under probe to 2,275.
During the same year, Pune police arrested 904 individuals in connection with economic offences, including 873 men and 31 women. Of these, 756 were chargesheeted. However, convictions remained extremely low with only three individuals convicted, while 41 were discharged and 115 acquitted.
A senior officer from the Economic Offences Wing and Cyber Department of Pune police said the rise can be linked to both improved reporting of crimes and post-Covid changes in investment behaviour. “Firstly, more people are coming forward to report cases, which has increased the numbers. Secondly, after Covid, people began investing aggressively without conducting proper background checks, which made them vulnerable to frauds,” the officer said.
The officer advised citizens to be cautious of schemes offering unusually high returns and to avoid putting money into illegal investments. “People should choose legal and ethical avenues for growing their money,” he added.
Experts have also attributed the rise in cases to the rapid expansion of digital transactions and the sophisticated methods employed by organised fraud networks. Police have intensified monitoring and awareness campaigns, but the consistent increase has raised concerns about the need for stronger enforcement and greater public vigilance.
The NCRB report makes it clear that Pune, like many other urban centres, continues to grapple with the growing threat of economic crime in an increasingly digital economy.
