Crime Surges as Kurnool Lacks Cyber Police Station

 Kurnool: As cyber fraud cases continue to rise across Kurnool district, the lack of a dedicated cyber police station has been cited as a major constraint in investigations and justice-dispensation.

In the past three years, the district police have registered only a small number of FIRs as they relied on a wait-and-watch approach for recovery of lost items.

Currently, the district does not have an exclusive cyber crime police station. Instead, cases are being handled by the cyber wing at the regional centre in Kurnool, which caters to the needs of four districts.

Due to the steadily rising volume of complaints, cyber wing officials are under severe pressure. They frequently redirect victims to local police stations for registration of cyber crimes and follow-up. The local police stations lack trained personnel to effectively investigate or manage cybercrime cases.

Without technical expertise, many cases are either delayed or casually handled, leaving the victims confused and frustrated. They are often forced to shuttle between local police stations and the regional cyber crime wing, with no clear direction on how to take matters forward.

A city cop explained, “Cybercrime is increasing by the day. Regular police stations are not equipped to handle these cases. We are under pressure to direct victims to the cyber wing, but that is not always helpful.”

There have also been complaints that some police stations are merely forwarding complaints received through the national helpline (1930) to the cyber wing without properly registering FIRs. In some instances, when money is frozen in fraudulent accounts, there is no designated officer to file the necessary applications in court to facilitate its recovery.

Now, registering a case has become mandatory to reclaim recovered funds.

Despite the challenges, the cyber wing has managed to recover Rs 4.06 crore over the past three years from fraudsters, against total reported losses of Rs 13.37 crore—just about 30 per cent of the total. In 2022, some 38 cases were registered and Rs 86.62 lakh was recovered. In 2023, only 26 cases were registered and Rs 1.48 crore was recovered. In 2024, 50 cases were registered, and the recovery was at Rs 1.71 crore.

Officials say many fraudsters are transferring stolen money to foreign accounts, making it even harder to retrieve the funds. “We don’t have the authority to freeze international transactions. We have written to the higher authorities to take up the matter with the central government so that necessary powers can be granted,” said an official.

With cybercrime becoming a daily concern, both police and victims are urging the government to immediately establish a dedicated police station for cybercrimes in Kurnool district. It must be staffed with trained personnel.