After 350% surge in cyber crimes and poor detection rate of 12%, the headless Mumbai Cyber Police finally gets a DCP after 2-years

In 2024 alone, Mumbai recorded cyber fraud cases worth around Rs 1,200 crore and a poor recovery rate of 12%, but its cyber police department had been headless since May 29, 2023. Finally, on Friday, in an internal shuffle where 13 DCPs got new postings, a full-time DCP was appointed for the long-vacant DCP Cyber post. As per the order signed by joint commissioner of police, EOW, Nishith Mishra (holding additional charge of Jt. CP Administration), Purushottam Narayan Karhad has been entrusted with the responsibility of DCP Cyber police under the crime branch. Karhad was previously posted with the Special Branch, the intelligence branch of the city police force. The Indian Express in its December 24, 2024, report had highlighted the issue of how the state home department and (then) Mumbai police commissioner, amid rapidly growing cyber crimes, have failed to depute a full-time DCP (deputy commissioner of police) for the cyber police department for a long time.DCP Balsingh Rajput served as the last full-time DCP Cyber till May 29, 2023. Since then various DCPs from the crime branch have been temporarily holding additional charge of the office of DCP Cyber for the past 24 months. DCP (detection) Datta Nalawde was last holding the additional charge of DCP Cyber. On Friday he was transferred back to zone 10.DCP Cyber supervises the functioning of five regional cyber police stations in the city that deal with all the major, important and sensitive cyber crime cases involving more than Rs 10 lakh.Underlining the significance of having a full-time DCP Cyber, a police officer requesting anonymity said, “When an IPS officer or senior police officer is entrusted with the full-time job of this key post, then the performance of the five police stations improves.”

- GNS News Agency, June 13

The cyber police department is a specialised crime branch wing, which is expected to deliver results beyond just detecting cases involving more than Rs 10 lakhs and not focusing on planning and executing major crackdowns on bigger cyber crime syndicates," a former cyber crime officer said. The senior officer is expected to look into possible solutions and formulate policies for long-term goals, anticipating and identifying major cybercrime trends, potential threats and their root causes and plugging them with possible remedies to prevent future crimes, the officer added.A full-time senior officer can also work with other cybercrime-combating agencies to conceptualise and introduce mechanisms for the prevention of stealing of data, which far more plays a very crucial role in most of the