Hyderabad: Telangana Director General of Police CV Anand, an IPS officer of 1991 batch, has directed all police units across the state to intensify efforts against the growing menace of digital arrest scams while setting an ambitious target of making Telangana the top-ranked state in cyber policing in the country.
Reviewing the state’s cyber security preparedness through a video conference with senior police officers on Friday, the DGP stressed that technology-driven policing would be central to combating cybercrime. He instructed officials to improve Telangana’s performance across the nine Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) monitored nationally by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Centre Closely Monitoring Cyber Security Through PRAGATI
During the review meeting, CV Anand noted that cyber security initiatives are being closely monitored by the Central Government through the Prime Minister’s PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation)platform as cyber frauds continue to rise across India.
He observed that digital arrest scams, in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement agencies and intimidate victims into transferring money, have emerged as one of the biggest cyber threats and require coordinated action by all police units.
The DGP directed officers to fully utilise digital policing platforms and improve Telangana’s performance in national cyber security assessments.
Focus on e-Zero FIR and Faster Cybercrime Response
CV Anand instructed police officers to expedite the implementation of the e-Zero FIR system across Telangana to ensure quicker registration of cybercrime complaints and faster assistance to victims.
He said seamless complaint registration and prompt processing would significantly improve the state’s response to cyber fraud cases and enhance public confidence in the police.
Telangana’s Current National Rankings
Reviewing the state’s performance across the national cyber policing parameters, the DGP observed that Telangana has considerable scope for improvement in several indicators.
The current rankings include:
- 13th in e-Zero FIR implementation
- 18th in Money Restoration, with a 46.6% recovery rate
- 4th in the Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM)
- 16th in the Sahayog Portal
- 6th in the Samanvaya Portal
- 16th in social media-related performance
- 15th in cyber security standards
- 8th in capacity building
He directed all police units to improve these rankings through better coordination, timely investigations and greater use of technology.
Public Awareness Key to Preventing Cyber Fraud
Emphasising that public participation remains critical in combating cybercrime, the DGP instructed officers to launch extensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns across the state.
He said awareness programmes should educate citizens about:
- Digital arrest scams
- Online financial frauds
- Cyber safety practices
- Emerging digital threats
He also called for regular capacity-building initiatives for police personnel to strengthen cyber investigation capabilities.
Greater Use of Technology in Policing
CV Anand directed officials to maximise the use of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) not only for cybercrime investigations but also in routine policing.
He said technology-enabled investigations would improve operational efficiency, strengthen evidence collection and enhance the overall quality of criminal investigations across Telangana.
Senior Officers Attend Review Meeting
The review meeting was attended by several senior officers, including:
- Shikha Goel, IPS, Director, Telangana Cyber Security Bureau
- Rupesh, SP, T-Spark
- Sai Sri, SP, Cyber Security
- Senior police officers from police units across Telangana
The DGP concluded by directing all units to work in mission mode to improve Telangana’s cyber policing performance and establish the state as the national leader in technology-driven law enforcement.
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