Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Police have intensified their campaign against cybercrime with the special operation ‘Operation Cyber Kavach’, aimed at cracking down on fraudulent bank accounts and digital scams across the state. Under the direction of DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, the operation is being conducted by District Cyber Crime Units under the supervision of District SPs and DCPs. The primary focus of the operation is to identify mule (benami) bank accounts used in cyber fraud and to take strict legal action against the account holders and their accomplices.
Since the launch of the operation, the police have verified 22,455 mule bank accounts across Odisha. In the process, a total of 760 cybercrime cases related to mule accounts, 31 cases involving ATM money withdrawals, 26 cases of cheque withdrawal fraud, and 16 cases of fake SIM or PoS-related frauds have been registered. So far, 281 accused have been arrested, while 592 suspected account holders and accomplices have been served legal notices. Additionally, 147 older FIRs linked to cyber fraud have also come under scrutiny as part of the operation.
District-wise actions highlight the widespread scope of the operation. In Jagatsinghpur, police verified 21 anonymous accounts, registered 5 cases, and issued legal notices to 5 individuals. Jajpur authorities checked 38 accounts, registered 1 case, and issued 11 notices, while Puri police verified 94 accounts and registered 2 cases. Bargarh police verified 109 accounts, registered 1 case, and issued 1 notice. Jharsuguda authorities verified 8 accounts, registered 4 cases, and issued 16 legal notices, while Sambalpur police verified 31 accounts, registered 3 mule bank cases and 1 cheque fraud case, and issued 15 notices.
In Kendujhar, 11 anonymous accounts were verified, 5 cases were registered, and 5 legal notices issued. Rourkela district police verified 60 accounts, registered 37 cases, and issued notices to all accused. Sundargarh verified 8 accounts, registered 1 case, and issued 1 notice. Balasore authorities checked 114 accounts, registered 2 cases, and issued 6 notices, while Gajapati police verified 5 accounts, registered 1 case, and issued 5 notices. Ganjam district police verified 64 accounts, registered 4 cases, arrested 4 accused, and issued 7 notices. Dhenkanal police verified 125 accounts and registered 5 cases.
Other districts have also made significant progress. Cuttack verified 24 accounts, registered 1 fake SIM/PoS case, arrested 1 accused, and issued notices to 3 people (2 for new cases and 1 for an old FIR). Kendrapara and Subarnapur verified 6 and 2 accounts respectively, while Nayagarh verified 56 accounts and arrested 3 accused. Balangir verified 26 accounts, and Bhadrak verified 113 accounts.
In further updates, Mayurbhanj district police verified 75 accounts and issued 8 legal notices, while Cuttack (UPD) verified 68 accounts and issued 14 notices. Berhampur verified 32 accounts, Deogarh checked 60, and Boudh verified 57 accounts, issuing notices to all 57 concerned individuals. Kandhamal verified 26 accounts and issued 31 notices related to 2 old FIRs. Kalahandi verified 46 accounts and issued 11 notices. Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Nuapada districts verified 2, 6, and 6 accounts respectively.
DGP Yogesh Bahadur Khurania emphasised that the Odisha Police are fully committed to ensuring the security of digital transactions for citizens. He further stated that the campaign would be intensified in the coming days to make Odisha free from cybercrime.
With Operation Cyber Kavach, the state police have sent a strong message to cybercriminals that fraudulent activities and misuse of anonymous bank accounts will not be tolerated. The operation has brought multiple districts together in a coordinated effort to safeguard digital transactions and protect citizens from financial fraud.
