UP top cop: ‘Cyber police footprint growing fast, impact being seen in small districts too’

Five months into his tenure, in an interview with The Indian Express, DGP Krishna speaks about why one of his priorities is tackling cyber crime. He also addresses police encounters in the state and why police personnel are forced to resort to gunfire.

On the first day that you took charge of the force, you put forth 10 priorities to make policing result-oriented. In the last five months, which of these has started showing results?

Under the CM’s overall vision with regard to policing, the UP Police had formulated 10 priorities. There were certain areas where the force was working very well, and there were certain priorities where more needs to be done.

Crime and zero tolerance towards criminals is, and has always been, the main priority… It has improved tremendously over the last 8 years, and we are working further in this direction.

Second, there is zero tolerance on crime against women. We have… taken certain initiatives in that direction… The Mission Shakti Abhiyan has been the state government’s flagship scheme for the last five years, and we have made certain innovations and modifications to improve delivery on the ground… It has shown very encouraging results.

Cybercrime is one area which we are working on. The UP Police has been enhancing the cyber police footprint at a tremendous rate. Around 10 years ago, there was only one cyber police station in the entire state. Seven-eight years ago, it was expanded to 18 police stations — one in every range. This has further been expanded to one cyber police station in every district.

Within 10-11 years, the number of police stations dedicated to cybercrime has increased from one to 75… Now, we have one cyber help desk at every police station.

UP has seen over 200 encounters in the last eight years, where criminals have died. What are the circumstances in which police are forced to open fire?

The policy of the police is very clear — zero tolerance towards crime. We arrest roughly thousands of criminals/accused in a year… in 95-98% of the cases, they are arrested in a normal manner, as they don’t put up any resistance.

But some criminals run away and the police chase and catch them. Sometimes, they fall and get injured. Others, who are miniscule in number, resort to firing at the police. The police then have to open fire in self defence, using the principle of minimum use of force, and someone (the accused) gets hit in the leg, in the hand.

Some of these criminals are hardened, they have 40-50 or even more cases against them… They are normally not those who have committed only a crime or two… So for them, wielding a weapon and firing at the police to evade arrest, is not improbable… So when they fire, The police, too, have to retaliate. So, you see, almost all such criminals who are killed during engagement with police are very hardened criminals with no respect for the law.

The underlying theme and the central thread running through them is that there is zero tolerance towards criminals. It is upon the criminal and how they respond to the police.

What strategies did you implement to strengthen handling of cybercrime by police personnel?

… I strengthened human infrastructure and other infrastructure at the police-station level, and provided comprehensive training. The efficiency of human capital is directly proportional to the quality and the amount of training given to a person. So if a constable or sub-inspector is trained properly… it not only gives them confidence to deal with the subject but also helps the victims.

The biggest bottleneck was the mindset — “what is this cyber crime, I can’t do it, only some expert can do it”. I focused on changing this through constant interaction with officers at different levels.

Training has been imparted online via a portal called CyTrain [National Cybercrime Training Centre]. It comprises an 8-hour session, which is well-structured. After each hour, participants must pass a short test to progress to the next module. While the 8 hours can be spread over two or three days, advancing to each subsequent session or level requires successfully passing the test from the previous session.

We have trained people across UP’s 1,568 police stations… In the last three months, 72,161 personnel have received certificates — from constables to DG. This 70,000 is not the unique number of personnel. They are the number of courses which personnel have got certificates for… We have pursued an aggressive approach to training manpower to effectively handle these types of issues.

Over the past few months, the most common cyber offence has been digital arrest. Victims often don’t contact the police or take days to lodge a complaint. What measures are being taken to tackle this issue?

One thing I would like to tell all citizens is there is no government agency anywhere in the country — be it CBI, ED, police, Income Tax, DRI or any other agency — which interacts through video, telling them that they are arrested, and asks for money to be transferred.

There is no concept of digital arrest in law. In all such matters, victims can dial 1930 (the national cyber crime helpline) to lodge a complaint.

The whole strategy of tackling cybercrime is different from conventional crime… cybercrimes are the only ones in which people can get their money back even without lodging the FIR. It has been recognised by the government… and by the courts. In my knowledge, four Hon’ble High Courts have already issued orders that in cybercrimes, with certain procedural safeguards, the money can be returned to the victim even without lodging an FIR.

We have written to the government and the government has moved the Hon’ble (Allahabad) High Court… that like the four other high courts, please issue guidelines to our district courts so (we) can return the money back to the rightful owner — with certain procedural safeguards.

With cyber desks established at every police station and trained personnel, what changes do you observe today in terms of money recovery and how cases are handled?

The nature of crime is such that a person sitting in a distant place, even outside India, is able to commit that crime in your home. So the conventional way of first filing the FIR, then trying to find that offender… will be counter productive in terms of efforts and outcome. FIRs are being lodged so that when scamsters are arrested, the linkages are already there. This type of crime requires a different strategy…

In the last three-four months, we have blocked 1.82 lakh mobile sets and 12,574 IMEI numbers… Out of every Rs 100 defrauded and recorded on the 1930 helpline, we are able to freeze Rs 20.90.

In 2025 alone, up to October 31, the total lien amount was Rs 251 crore, while the total fraud amount, based on 1930 complaints, was Rs 1,299 crore. The victims have either already received their funds or the amounts are in the process of being returned.

The matter has also been brought before the Hon’ble High Court. We have proposed a framework of rules similar to those in several other states, and the Hon’ble High Court’s rules committee, or the appropriate body, is currently reviewing them. The UP government has already taken steps before the Honorable High Court to initiate the process.

To monitor execution and implementation, there is a dedicated vertical headed by DG Cyber B K Singh… To provide round-the-clock assistance and expertise, cyber warriors are posted at every zonal headquarters. These officers are specialists in handling cyber-related cases.

Additionally, 15 police personnel of varying ranks have received specialised training. They serve as nodal officers for cyber awareness, training, and investigation at the zonal level. Currently, eight personnel are deployed in each of the eight zones, with seven stationed at the Cyber Crime Headquarters.

I have also started getting results following training of police personnel… even from small districts like Banda…

How can citizens minimise losses?

Citizens need to be aware of the golden hour — the critical time after a crime or fraud occurs — and immediately report the crime by calling 1930. The ‘golden hour’ in cybercrime is like the golden hour in medical emergencies — every minute counts. Reporting early increases the chance of freezing the fraudulent transaction and recovering the money.

Call 1930 immediately, provide accurate information, especially the transaction ID. The system is automated, so incorrect transaction details can cause delays. If you are unable to find the transaction ID or need help, go to the nearest police station.