With 23,678 cases in 2023, the state topped southern peers like Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, driven by a 7.31% year-on-year rise and a national second-highest rate of 124.9 crimes per lakh women.
The city logged 53 IT Act cases against women, second nationally after Bengaluru, with 47 involving sexually explicit content—highlighting the perils of online platforms in urban settings.
Rape cases hit 817 (including 14 murders/gangrapes), abductions reached 2,152, and cruelty by husbands/relatives topped 1,743 in Hyderabad alone, third-highest among metros.
Alarming Surge: Crimes Against Women In Telangana Highlight Digital Vulnerabilities
Telangana recorded 23,678 cases in 2023—a 7.31% increase from 22,066 the previous year—translating to a crime rate of 124.9 per lakh female population, second only to Delhi nationally.
Summary
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has reported a significant uptick in crimes against women across Telangana, with the state leading the southern region and Hyderabad emerging as a hotspot for cyber abuse.
According to The Hindu, the latest data, released on September 20, 2025, but making headlines today amid heightened public discourse on gender-based violence, paints a troubling picture of offline and online perils. Telangana recorded 23,678 cases in 2023—a 7.31% increase from 22,066 the previous year—translating to a crime rate of 124.9 per lakh female population, second only to Delhi nationally. This surge not only reflects rising incidents but also improved reporting mechanisms, experts say, though it demands urgent policy interventions to curb the trend.
The report highlights a disturbing shift towards cyber-enabled crimes, with 120 cases registered under the Information Technology Act in Telangana, including 78 involving the circulation of sexually explicit content and 42 linked to blackmail, morphing, defamation, or fake profiles. Hyderabad alone reported 53 such cases, securing an unwelcome second place among India's 19 metropolitan cities, trailing only Bengaluru's 127. Of these, 47 were tied to explicit material, while six involved other online harassment forms. Cities like Lucknow (41 cases) and Delhi (36) followed, underscoring the urban-rural digital divide in abuse patterns. Beyond cybercrimes, the state saw 817 rape cases—many involving victims over 30—and 2,152 abductions, including those connected to murders.
Activists and officials have called for enhanced cyber policing, awareness campaigns, and stricter enforcement of laws like the POCSO Act, under which Telangana ranked sixth nationally with 74 child pornography cases. As India grapples with this epidemic, Telangana's figures serve as a wake-up call: protecting women requires bridging the gap between traditional safeguards and the shadowy frontiers of the internet.
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