Delhi Police Commissioner Y S Dadwal told the media on Saturday that the decision has been taken to expedite investigations into white collar crimes.

The new cells will be besides the Crime Branch’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which investigates white collar crime cases like bank fraud, cellphone fraud, counterfeiting, forgery, insider trading or money laundering, among others. The new cells would operate under the district Deputy Commissioners of Police.

According to Dadwal, three districts in as many police ranges will be selected initially as a pilot project. He said personnel posted in this cell would be given special training. “We don’t have shortage of police personnel for this new wing,” Dadwal said. “The white collar crime cells would investigate small and minor cases of the concerned district, and within a designated time.”

The Economic Offences Wing looks after cases exceeding offences over Rs 1 crore, or handles cases with a large number of complainants and complicated cases. “The decision to set up a specialised cell came in the backdrop of an increase in white collar crimes like cheating, forgery and property disputes,” Dadwal said.

“We have to accelerate the process of disposal of cases. These new cells will handle all such cases in the districts.”

Dadwal said the police would appoint experts like chartered accountants and MBAs to train police personnel for the new cell. “A majority of the 630 sub-inspectors who will pass out in the next few days will be shifted in these cells after appropriate training,” Dadwal said.

As per Delhi Police statistics, EOW last year investigated 781 cases, including the DDA flat allotment scam, besides inquiring into 3,241 complaints. In all, 172 people were arrested by the Wing. The white collar crime cells are expected to operate from July as a pilot project.  

More for Games

Dadwal also announced the police department’s plan to set up a ‘digital video wall’ to enable police personnel to see real-time video footage from across the city during next year’s Commonwealth Games.

Slated to be set up at the Police Headquarters at ITO, the videos will bring footage from border points, Games venues and traffic intersections and can be accessed at the Central Command Unit.

“It will be a huge hall with digital walls,” Dadwal said. “There will be 24 cubes and we can access footage from different stadiums and intersections. It will all be real-time footage.”