Cops' money under threat, dept to ask banks to up security

The Gujarat police have decided to inform banks, where police have their accounts, to take precaution and secure the accounts. The department has also told cybercrime cells to ensure the security of those accounts. The decision comes in the wake of the hacking
of salary bank accounts of the Maharashtra police officers.

The state government, meanwhile, is also contemplating negotiation with some banks to have all salary accounts in one bank instead of several banks.

The government pays around Rs173 crore salary every month to the state police and these policemen have accounts in various banks, unlike Maharashtra, where all the accounts were with the Axis Bank. However, most of the police in the state have their accounts in this bank.

“We are concerned about the security and will write a letter to these banks on Monday to ensure security. The state government will also ask the banks to take extra measures to secure the accounts as well as seek the help of cybercrime cells if required,” said state director-general of police Amitabh Pathak.

“The cybercrime cells have also been alerted to take preventive measures,” a police source said. However, the department is finding it difficult to communicate with the banks as there is more than one bank where the salary has to be transferred every month.

The state government, meanwhile, is mulling the plan to centralise the process of transferring salaries into one bank account. A senior IPS officer said the government was thinking about negotiating with various banks to have the salary account in only one bank. “We will choose a bank, which gives more value-added services to the police and that will be figured out soon,” said the officer.

The state government has also mulled the plan of Cyber Suraksha Kavach to secure online transactions in state where a separate cell would be created to cater online fraud and shoddy online transactions.