CAG Flags Lapses In Odisha’s CCTNS: Privacy Breaches And Investigation Errors Revealed

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has identified “serious lapses” in the implementation of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) in Odisha, according to PTI.

The CAG conducted an IT audit of the system to assess its performance and effectiveness from its inception in 2013 up to March 2023. The findings were published in the latest CAG report, which was laid before the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday evening, PTI reported.

The audit revealed multiple issues, including privacy breaches and lapses in investigation and prosecution. It noted that charge sheets were sometimes prepared by officers who were not designated as investigating officers (IOs). Between 2018 and 2023, the audit found 2,080 such instances across 217 police stations.

The report also highlighted significant control failures in maintaining chronological and logical sequencing of actions within the system. Examples included the registration of FIRs prior to General Diary (GD) entries and recording arrests and seizures before FIRs were lodged.

In addition, the audit found that 5,566 complaints of missing children under 18 were reported in the system without the mandatory registration of FIRs. Despite provisions for registration and maintenance in the system, 9,642 non-cognisable cases were not recorded by 29 police stations, the report said.

The CAG also raised concerns over the disclosure of sensitive information. In 1,631 cases across 405 police stations, details of women victims and juvenile offenders, which are classified as sensitive, were publicly available on the citizen portal.

Furthermore, the audit identified discrepancies in case closure reporting. Of 368 cases reported as closed, 190 were incorrectly marked as such, even though the finalised charge sheets had not been forwarded to the concerned court.

(With inputs from PTI)