Bhubaneswar: Odisha DGP YB Khurania Tuesday said the nature of crime was rapidly evolving, with digital evidence becoming a critical component of almost every criminal investigation.
He made the statement as the Odisha Police’s CID-Crime Branch signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Bhubaneswar, to strengthen cybercrime investigation, enhance digital forensic capabilities and promote scientific investigation practices.
Under the programme, 480 police personnel from all 34 police districts and the Crime Branch will be trained in 16 batches. Khurania also inaugurated the training programme of the first batch.
Describing the occasion as a “historic milestone” in the modernisation of Odisha Police, he said the agreement would establish a long-term institutional partnership between the two organisations and usher in a new phase of cyber policing in the state.
“As cybercrimes such as mule account frauds, online investment scams and digital arrest frauds continue to rise, the new criminal laws have placed forensic science at the centre of criminal investigations,” the DGP said.
He stressed that proper seizure, preservation and handling of electronic evidence must become a core competency for every police officer.
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Khurania said the state government has established 20 cybercrime and economic offences police stations and provided modern hardware and software worth around Rs 15 crore to police stations across Odisha to strengthen the cyber policing infrastructure.
He said the collaboration with NFSU would extend beyond training and include crime scene management, higher education, collaborative research, development of forensic infrastructure and technical consultancy.
Coordinators from both organisations will oversee implementation of the MoU, with review meetings to be held every six months.
DG (CID-Crime Branch) Vinaytosh Mishra said the partnership would enable the department to impart specialised technical training to police personnel across all ranks.
Each batch of 30 participants, from constables to deputy superintendents of police, will undergo a six-day programme comprising five days of classroom and laboratory sessions at NFSU and one day of practical training at the Cyber Complex.
Addressing the first batch of trainees, Mishra said the success of the programme would lie not in obtaining certificates but in acquiring the skills required to collect digital evidence properly, conduct scientific investigations and present legally admissible evidence before courts.
He also urged the participants to share the knowledge and skills acquired during the training with their colleagues after returning to their respective districts.
