Patna, Aug 7 (IANS) Bihar Chief Secretary Pratyaya Amrit and Director General of Police Vinay Kumar on Friday jointly chaired a statewide review meeting through video conferencing with District Magistrates (DMs), Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to assess the state’s preparedness against cybercrime and ensure compliance with directions issued during the 52nd PRAGATI review meeting.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary stressed that protecting citizens from cyber fraud should be the administration’s top priority.
He emphasised the need for widespread publicity of the national cybercrime helpline ‘1930’, through which victims of financial cyber fraud can immediately report incidents and seek assistance.
Pratyaya Amrit directed officials to ensure that the ‘1930’ helpline number is prominently displayed on electricity bills, mobile payment and recharge applications, the packaging of Sudha milk and other products, Sudha parlours, municipal digital hoardings, LED display boards and other public places with high footfall across the state.
He also instructed district administrations to regularly organise cyber awareness programmes such as ‘Cyber Tuesday’ in schools, colleges and other educational institutions to educate students and the public about online fraud and digital safety.
During the review, officials were briefed on Bihar’s cybercrime control mechanisms, the use of technical investigation portals and enforcement measures undertaken across the state.
As part of the crackdown on organised cybercrime networks, authorities verified 6,251 mule bank accounts, initiated legal proceedings against 702 individuals, and arrested 507 accused persons.
The meeting also noted that Nawada (Rank 2), Nalanda (Rank 4), Patna (Rank 7) and Sheikhpura (Rank 15) are among India’s identified cybercrime hotspot districts.
Patna was also flagged as one of the country’s major locations for cyber fraud involving ATM and cheque-based cash withdrawals.
Police officials were directed to maintain heightened surveillance and take swift action in these vulnerable areas.
Officials told the meeting that 16,593 cases had been processed to facilitate the return of money to cybercrime victims.
Prompt police action was taken in 5,642 cases, leading to orders for the restoration of Rs 224.53 lakh to victims.
The review also highlighted that Bihar has resolved more than 98 per cent of complaints related to unauthorised bank debits.
The Bihar Police has also processed 90.22 per cent of the interstate Crime and Investigation Assistance Requests (CIAR) received from other states.
Under the Sahyog portal, authorities reported that 75.65 per cent of URLs identified for hosting illegal or harmful cyber content had been successfully removed.
The meeting was informed that more than 4,221 Bihar Police personnel have received specialised training in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity to strengthen the state’s digital policing capabilities.
The Chief Secretary directed officials to expedite the registration of e-Zero FIRs in cyber fraud cases involving losses exceeding Rs 1 lakh and ensure that such cases are promptly converted into regular FIRs for investigation.
District Magistrates were also instructed to accelerate the freezing of mule bank accounts and facilitate the speedy return of defrauded money to victims through meetings of the District Level Bankers’ Committee (DLBC).
The meeting concluded with directions to launch a statewide special drive against agents and retail outlets allegedly issuing SIM cards on the basis of forged or fraudulent documents, with the aim of curbing cyber-enabled financial crimes.
–IANS
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