BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government has announced constitution of a Special Task Force (STF) which will take on the growing incidents of organised crime. The Government has also, for the first time, constituted an Economic Offences Wing (EoW) in the face of rising incidents of white collar crimes. Both the wings will operate under the Crime Branch of Police and have statewide jurisdiction. The STF and EoW will be notified as police stations.The task force, which was long pending on the wish list of the State Police, will act as a nodal agency to tackle organised crimes such as tender fixing, extortion, drug peddling, abduction for ransom, illicit supply of arms and ammunition and explosives and human organ trade. The STF will be mandated with investigation, prosecution and intelligence against gangs which are involved in such crimes.It will also be instrumental in interacting with its counterparts in other States and agencies of the Government of India. All cases of the Crime Branch will also be transferred to the STF.Meanwhile, the constitution of EoW means the State will get its first dedicated unit to tackle white collar crimes. The powers of EoW will stand widened as it can investigate and prosecute economic offences which stand at `20 lakh and more.Frauds in non-banking financial companies, money circulation schemes, chit funds, cooperative and society fund defalcation, shares and securities frauds, job racket scams, banking frauds, cheating, forgery, land and building rackets, fake Indian currency notes, security papers, stamp papers, promissory notes and stamps, companies disappearing with public funds and insurance frauds will come under the purview of EoW.However, job racket frauds as well as scams in investment, deposit, chit funds, money circulation involving more than 20 persons can be probed by the EoW even if the amount involved is less than `20 lakh. Similarly, cases where Government has been de-frauded, the EoW can investigate even if the loss involved is less than `20 lakh.As per the Government notification, the EoW can take up investigation of economic offences whose modus operandi necessitates its intervention. It, however, will require permission of the Director-General of Police (DGP).The DGP will also have the authority to review the revision of the limit of fraud from `20 lakh upwards keeping in view the resources available at the disposal of the EoW and capacity of the police to deal with the crimes. While prosecution of all offences investigated by EoW will be done by prosecutors of the wing, in cases, when necessary, district prosecutors can be hired.The two wings will start operating from Bhubaneswar. Since both wings will operate under the CB, all its rules and regulations will apply to these two outfits and the head of CB will have powers to take up any case for investigation.
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