DGP stresses on tech knowledge update for cops

BHUBANESWAR:IN the last 10 to 15 years several non-banking financial companies and unincorporated firms have collected huge sums of money from investors in the State in an unauthorised manner on the pretext of providing higher returns. Several cases were registered against such organisations.

Speaking at a workshop on ‘Cases pertaining to unauthorised collection of public deposits’ on Wednesday at Police Bhawan in the Capital, Odisha DGP Dr RP Sharma on Wednesday said investigation of such cases requires special expertise, and assistance from experts of other organisations is also vital. The need arises as there has been an increase in instances where fraudsters are using cyber space to defraud the people, the DGP said and asked the police officers to keep themselves updated with technology.

So far, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) conducted investigation of such frauds and the agency is still probing more such offences in the State, he said and added that the officers have so far arrested about 880 persons for their involvement in such cases. Over 6 lakh people in the State were duped by the ponzi firms.
At the workshop organised by EOW of Odisha Crime Branch, the agency officers apprised the DGP about the number of cases registered, disposed of, accused arrested in connection with fraud cases and number of ad-interim proposals sent to the State Government for attaching the property of ponzi firms in the last four years.

The agency has registered 13 chit fund cases till May 29, this year disposed of 15 cases, arrested 59 persons and sent 6 ad-interim proposals to State Government for attaching the property of the ponzi firms. Similarly in 2017, 26 cases were registered, 33 were disposed of, 74 persons were arrested and four ad-interim proposals submitted to attach the property of ponzi firms.

Speaking on the occasion, Crime Branch ADG Santosh Upadhyay said the objective of the workshop was to guide the investigating officers, supervisory officers and other officers about the latest investigation skills, for which experts from Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), and other organisations have been invited.

There is a State-level coordination committee which is chaired by the Chief Secretary. RBI and Sebi officials and police are members of the committee. “It was decided at the State-level coordination committee to hold an awareness programme for the police officers about various financial frauds,” RBI Deputy General Manager Pintun Sutar said.