Kerala has emerged as a leader in chargesheeting rates for criminal cases but is also witnessing an alarming spike in suicides, according to the data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2023.
According to the Crime in India 2023 report, the State has reported the highest chargesheeting rate under Indian Penal Code (IPC) crimes at 95.6%.
In 2023, Kerala recorded a total of 2,58,538 IPC crimes, marking a significant increase from the previous years (1,42,643 in 2021 and 2,35,858 in 2022).
Among the crimes reported in Kerala, cases involving cybercrimes saw a sharp rise in 2023, as they escalated from 773 cases in 2022 to a staggering 3,295 cases in 2023. These crimes, which include online fraud, OTP scams, and banking fraud, have increasingly burdened the police machinery with the chargesheeting rate standing at a measly 48.5%.
The State also witnessed a rise in crime against women with 16,025 reported cases in 2023, up from 15,213 in 2022. These included 843 cases of rape, 54 cases of attempt to commit rape, and 4,816 cases regarding assault on women with intent to outrage modesty. As many as 21 cases were also recorded under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961. Crimes against children also rose from 4,536 cases in 2021 to 5,903 in 2023.
However, amidst the crime crackdown, the mental health crisis in Kerala continues to escalate. According to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India 2023 report, the State has seen an 8% increase in suicides, with the total number of suicides climbing from 10,162 in 2022 to 10,972 in 2023.
This marks a worrying trend, as Kerala’s suicide rate of 30.6 per lakh population places it third in the country, behind only Andaman and Nicobar Islands (49.6) and Sikkim (40.2).
The primary causes for suicides in Kerala are varied, but a significant proportion is attributed to employment-related distress. As many as 1,178 suicides were reported among private sector workers, the second-highest in the country, only behind Maharashtra. Moreover, the State also topped in the number of suicides committed by unemployed persons, with 2,191 such cases reported
Published – September 30, 2025 09:16 pm IST
