Pune, 21 June 2025: Every day, citizens in Pune are falling prey to cyber thieves who empty their bank accounts by sending fraudulent messages on their mobile phones. In one such recent incident, a 66-year-old resident from Narayan Peth lost13 lakh after being promised high returns in the stock market. The city is witnessing a steady rise in cases of online frauds like fake investments, digital arrests, phishing, sextortion, and loan scams.

Currently, Pune has only one dedicated cyber police station, which is proving inadequate to handle the increasing number of cases. Other local police stations also investigate cyber crimes, but lack of trained and sufficient manpower has slowed down the progress of these investigations. Many citizens, fearing stigma or lacking awareness, do not even register complaints, allowing fraudsters to operate unchecked.

Given the growing population, expansion of IT hubs, and increasing reliance on online transactions, setting up additional cyber police stations has become essential. To address this, the Pune City Police Commissionerate has submitted a proposal to the Home Department seeking approval for five new cyber police stations in different city circles.

Along with the new stations, the proposal also includes the demand for a state-of-the-art cyber laboratory. Such a facility will help in faster collection of digital evidence, advanced data analysis, and real-time tracking of criminals. Mumbai already has a cyber lab with digital forensics and other modern facilities; a similar setup in Pune is expected to significantly boost cyber crime investigations.

Recent data highlights the urgency of this expansion. Cases of share trading fraud rose sharply from 6 in 2023 to 130 in 2024. Crimes like digital arrest, money laundering, and social media fraud are also on the rise. Notable cases include a senior woman from Kothrud losing 2.5 crore and another citizen losing 4 crore to digital arrest scams.

A senior police officer confirmed that efforts are underway to get the proposal approved and to begin circle-wise cyber police stations soon. The police also plan to provide special cyber crime training to their staff to ensure effective handling and timely resolution of cases.