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The Central Central Crime Branch of the Greater Chennai Police has been tasked with the responsibility of handling cases of a sensitive nature, such as bank frauds as well as fake passport and visa cases, irrespective of the quantum of money involved.
In a Standing Order that came into effect on October 10, 2023, Director-General of Police/Commissioner of Police Sandeep Rai Rathore said the Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) attached to the CCB would handle cases relating to pornography, child pornography, cyber stalking, cyber bullying, morphing, posting of sexually explicit content on social media and threats using fake profiles.
While cyber crime cases that are highly sensitive in nature would be also be handled only by the CCPS, other offences pertaining to social media such as data theft, impersonation, fake profiles, extortion, sextortion, abusive posts, fake or impersonation of online profiles etc. would be investigated by the local police, if the suspect was a known person or by the Zonal Cyber Crime Police Station, with the approval of the Joint Commissioner of Police, in case the suspect was unknown.
The revised threshold limits of pecuniary jurisdiction and competent investigating authority, as regards different categories of cyber crimes, was based on the recommendations of a committee constituted to review economic crimes and cyber crimes in the city. The committee, comprising senior police officers, considered the inflow of complaints, sensitivity of allegations, availability of technological infrastructure, technical expertise to handle the task as well as pending cases, and the made its report.
‘Kanthuvatti’ cases
In cases of usury or ‘kanthuvatti’ where money lenders charge exorbitant rates of interest, the CCB would probe cases where the money involved is more than ₹1 crore but with no other consequential offences. However, in ‘kanthuvatti’ cases where other crimes like assault or abetment to suicide are alleged, the local police would investigate the case irrespective of the amount of money involved.
Mr. Rathore said that cases of job racketeering, chit fund frauds and forgery where the money loss is more than ₹50 lakh and below ₹3 crore, coming under the Tamil Nadu Protection of Interest of Depositors Act, 1997, would be handled by the CCB. Cheating/criminal breach of trust or misappropriation cases where the defrauded amount is more than ₹1 crore would also be investigated by the CCB.
Land grabbing
The revised guidelines also said that in complaints where immovable property is encumbered by fraudulent registration of documents through impersonation or forgery, resulting in fraudulent mutation of records in the Registration Department or Revenue Department and the value of such properties is more than ₹50 lakh, the CCB would register the case.
Mr. Rathore said that any petition or case falling within the scope of the local police station should be strictly dealt with in accordance with the law and with the approval of the jurisdiction’s senior officers. In cases where the money involved is between ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore, the respective Additional Commissioner of Police would have to approve of the investigation, he said.