New Delhi: The conviction in cyber fraud cases in Odisha is ‘Zero’ and not a single person has been convicted during the last three years though such cases are on rise in the State.
Fraud for Cyber Crimes is rising and during the last three years the State Police has registered 3240 cases.
According to the latest report, while 956 cases of Cyber Crime were registered during 2019, not a single person has been convicted and also not a single case of conviction has been recorded.
However, 58 cases have been charged and 70 persons have been arrested by State Police.
Similarly, during 2020 the number of cybercrimes rose and 1079 cases were registered and 60 cases have been charge-sheeted and 74 persons were arrested.
During 2021 Cyber Crime registered 1205 and 74 cases have been charge-sheeted while 64 persons were arrested.
However, cases convicted and persons convicted are ‘zero’, official record shows.
So far All India Statistics is concerned in 2019 a total of 6229 fraud for Cyber Crimes were registered and in 18 cases of conviction at least 40 persons were convicted.
Similarly, in 2020 a total 10,395 cybercrime cases were registered and 221 cases of conviction recorded with 246 persons were convicted.
During 2021, a total number of 14,007 frauds under cybercrimes were registered across the country and in 30 cases of conviction at least 73 persons have been convicted.
While Telangana registered less cases of fraud under Cyber Crime than Odisha, it is 282 in 2019 and the State has convicted three persons in two cases.
In 2020, fraud under cybercrime spiked in Telangana to 3316 and in 202 cases conviction was pronounced while convicting 202 persons, which was a record.
During 2021, Telangana registered 7003 cases under Cyber Crime and convicted five persons, shows the latest reply placed in Rajya Sabha by the Union Minister of State Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra.
The Minister said that ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.
The States and Union Territories are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including cybercrime through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs).
The law enforcement agencies take legal action as per the provisions of law against persons involved in cyber fraud. The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for their capacity building.
To strengthen the mechanism to deal with cybercrimes, including cyber fraud in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the Central Government has taken steps for spreading awareness about cybercrimes, issuance of alerts/ advisories, capacity building/ training of law enforcement personnel/ prosecutors/ judicial officers, improving cyber forensic facilities, etc.
The Government has established the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) to provide a framework and ecosystem for LEAs to deal with cybercrimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner. The Government has launched the ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (www.cybercrime.gov.in) to enable the public to report all types of cybercrimes, with special focus on cybercrimes against women and children.
Cybercrime incidents reported on this portal are routed automatically to the respective State/UT law enforcement agency for further handling as per the provisions of law. The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’ has been launched for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by the fraudsters. A toll-free Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.