Gurugram gets three new cyber police stations

To tackle the increasing surge in cybercrime cases, the Haryana home department sanctioned 21 new cyber police stations across the state with Gurugram getting three new stations--one each in south, west and Manesar zones--and currently the only district in Haryana to have the maximum number (four) of such stations, said senior police officials on Friday.

The step was taken by the Haryana police after state home minister Anil Vij announced in January this year that every police district should have at least one cyber police station to tackle the increasing number of cybercrime cases.

Police officials said additional chief secretary (home) Rajiv Arora signed the order to establish the 21 new cyber police stations on May 23 this year. Posts for more than 720 personnel, in the ranks of inspectors, sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, head constables and constables, have been sanctioned for these stations.

Officials said of the 21 stations, the three in Gurugram commissionerate started functioning from Friday onwards while two cyber police stations sanctioned for Faridabad commissionerate were made functional around a week ago. Police said the other cyber police stations across the state will soon be made functional.

Incidentally, Gurugram was the first district in Haryana to get a cybercrime police station, followed by Panchkula, in 2018. On June 23, 2020, the state home department gave permission for six more cyber police stations, of which five were of range-level (several districts/areas collectively make up one range) and one was opened in Faridabad, said police.

Gurugram deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Astha Modi said there has been a surge in cyber crime complaints in Gurugram, especially in the post-Covid era. Gurugram already has a cyber police station operating in the east zone.

“Station house officers have been posted for the three cyber police stations in south, west and Manesar zones,” said the DCP.

According to police officials, 18 male and four female inspectors, 20 male and four female sub-inspectors, 12 male and four female assistant sub-inspectors, 32 male and eight female head constables and 40 male and 20 female constables have been sanctioned for the three new cyber police stations in Gurugram.

Officials said the fresh cybercrime complaints coming from the three zones (barring east) will be handled by the three new cyber police stations, which are currently operating from Sector 65 in south zone, Palam Vihar in west zone and Sector 8 in Manesar zone.

Assistant commissioner of police (cyber crime) Indivar Sharma said the three new cyber police stations will also run awareness programmes for common people and students regularly in-person and also by running social media campaigns.

“Till today (Friday), we received more than 5,500 complaints and registered 40 FIRs at the cyber crime police station in the east zone. Now that the three new cyber police stations have opened up, the count of FIRs will increase and case investigation will also speed up,” said Sharma.

The ACP said that with four cyber police stations, Gurugram has now become the only district in the state to have the maximum number of such stations. “There are 27 heads under which cybercrime is divided. Of them, maximum complaints are related to debit/credit card fraud and online/e-commerce fraud,” said Sharma.

Meanwhile, in Faridabad, the new cyber police stations have opened at Ballabgarh and central while the existing cyber crime police station was at NIT, said Sube Singh, public relation officer of Faridabad police.

“Commissioner Vikas Kumar Arora activated cyber help desks at every police station in January this year. Cases, which are serious or have higher financial values, get transferred to the cybercrime police station,” he said.

Singh said in Faridabad, complaints for cybercrime and crime against women have increased tremendously.

“Despite continuous awareness campaigns by the state or central government, banks and other governmental institutes, people fall prey to cyber frauds and lose money while trying to get something worth ₹300 for free,” he said.

Singh said the increased number of cyber police stations will help in quick investigation and disposal of cases.