In a bid to curb cyber crimes and frauds in the financial sector, the State Government has created a new post of Additional Director General of Police(ADGP), Economic Offences Wing (EOW) at the state level and appointed senior IPS officer, Prabhat Kumar, as its first ADGP.
As of now, major cities such as Mumbai and Pune have their own EOWs but there is no state level EOWs that can coordinate and monitor such offences statewide. Due to increasing population, urbanization and growing volume of transactions through the internet, cyber crimes are escalating, especially in the construction industry and other sectors of the economy; therefore the need for such a state-level agency, said a Government Resolution (GR) issued on May10, 2018.
Statistics
For now, Mumbai Police’s EOW will continue to operate independently and will not come under the State EOW. In 2017, 7,918 economic offences were registered in the State, involving a sum of Rs.12,703.19 Crores and in 2016,7,049 offences involving Rs. 7,571.24 Crores had been registered, as per data provided by the State Police headquarters.
The post of Additional Director General of Police, as head of EOW Department, has been created in the month of May with Prabhat Kumar, who had been, until now, serving as IGP – Law & Order, Maharashtra.
“The increase in digital/online transactions is contributing to the rise in economic offences in a big way. The probe of such offences calls for coordination with the central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department, and the creation of a State EOW will make this easier,” said an official.
Major Reshuffle in Maharashtra Police Department
In a key IPS reshuffle, CM Devendra Fadnavis on May 30, 2018, shifted Joint Commissioner (Economic Offences), Thane – Ashutosh Dumbre, to the Crime Branch, Mumbai, while Nashik Range Inspector General, Vinoy Choubey, now heads the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
Joint Commissioner (Crime), Sanjay Saxena has been promoted as Additional Director General (Training). Additional Commissioner-Ashwati Dorje and Additional CP (Western Region), Chhering Dorje, were shifted to Nashik on promotion. Ashwati will be Director, Maharashtra Police Academy, and Chhering will be Nashik Range IG. Additional Commissioner (Crime), K.M. Prasanna is promoted as Nagpur Range IG. Additional CP (Admin) – Archana Tyagi is promoted as Additional DG (SRPF), Mumbai. Joint Commissioner(Intelligence) – Santosh Rastogi, replaces her.
Aurangabad Police Commissioner Yashaswi Yadav, sent on leave for deteriorating Law & Order, is promoted and posted as Special IG- (VIP and Coastal Security), while DIG (ATS) – Suhas Warke has been promoted as Nanded Range IG.
Special IG (Law & Order) Prabhat Kumar will be new Additional DG(Economic Offences). Navi Mumbai Joint Commissioner – Prashant Burde, has been promoted to Deputy Director (Civil Protection & Home Guards), and Additional DG(SRPF) – Sandeep Bishnoi is now Additional DG (Establishment). Additional CP (Protection & Security) – R.D. Shinde, is Director, State Intelligence Academy, Pune.
Additional DG (VIP and Coastal Security) Dhananjay Kamlakar,is now deputed to the Planning & Coordination Branch in the DG Office. DIG (CID) – Shrikant Tarwade is IG – Amravati. Nanded Range IG Chiranjeev Prasad is now Aurangabad Police Commissioner.
