High cybercrime caseload in Ludhiana, cops root for separate police station

LUDHIANA: The cyber cell of the Ludhiana police commissionerate receives about 300 to 400 complaints every month on an average. But there are only 15 cops to handle them. The city police want to send a proposal for a separate cyber police station in Ludhiana, but before that cops are renovating the office that has insufficient space and are also trying to get more staff.
As per the data provided by the Ludhiana police, the pendency of cybercrime complaints at present is about 2,300. Besides, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Ludhiana commissionerate topped the state in the number of cybercrime cases reported in 2019.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (crime) Rupinder Kaur Bhatti, who also heads the cyber cell, said, “We want to send a proposal to the head office to get a separate cyber police station in Ludhiana, as daily we receive 10 to 15 complaints. Moreover, the investigation of cybercrime complaints is time consuming, so we need more manpower too.”
“Earlier, we had 20 cops in the cyber cell, but five got transferred. Before sending the proposal for cyber police station, we must arrange basic infrastructure. The building of cyber cell is being renovated in which there would be separate cabins, computers and laptops. Thereafter, we will try to get more staff,” she added.
Assistant commissioner of police (cybercrime) Vaibhav Sehgal said, “Ludhiana is an industrial town and a rich district. Therefore, its residents become an easy target of cyber criminals. With less staff and more complaints, the investigation gets delayed. In some tricky cases, which require more of forensic and scientific expertise, not only Ludhiana but other districts, too, are dependent on Mohali cyber police station. Due to backlogs there, on an average it takes about two months to get one report.”
At present, cybercrime complaints are received and investigated by the cyber cell, but FIRs are lodged at police stations concerned.
Investigations get delayed
ADCP Rupinder Kaur Bhatti said, “Punjab has only one cyber police station with hi-tech equipment and that is in Mohali. All police districts depend on it for any kind of scientific probe. At times, we get reports after six months, and so the investigation is also delayed. Once we get a separate police station, we will have all the tools here to collect scientific evidence and it will certainly speed up the investigation. Besides, there will be one dedicated investigating officer for each case.”