KOCHI: Lack of enough police staff in the Crime Branch has become a major concern as the authorities are struggling with the increasing number of money chain fraud cases, which are expected to touch 250 by the end of this week. Only 20 police personnel are there in the Crime Branch to handle the cases. According to sources, there is a move to hand over all the money chain fraud cases in the State to the Crime Branch. However, the Crime Branch Economical Offences Wing is now operating with 21 police personnel, which include a DySP, two CIs, two SIs and 16 lower grade officers, including ASIs and constables. The vacancies of one circle inspector, one sub inspector and four lower grade officers are yet to be filled. Since there is a huge shortage in the administration section, policemen were forced to handle paper works also. “A major set back to the investigation into the money chain cases is that we are short of more than 20 police personnel. Currently, we are handling over 200 cases and it will become more than 300 when the local police will hand over more cases to the CB,”a highly placed source in the Crime Branch said. “If the Police Department will hand over all the economic offence cases to the CB, it will be hard for us to handle. We have informed this to the top officials but to no avail,”the source added. Chief Minister Ommen Chandy, who is also in-charge of the Home Ministry, told Express that he was not aware of the crisis. “The money chain cases are a serious issue. But, I was not aware of the crisis in the CB”. He assured that the shortage of staff would be dealt seriously and he would take initiative to depute more police personnel in the CB. Currently, the CB is zeroing in on the five-worst hit districts in the scam- Thrissur, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Kottayam and Idukki. The cases under the purview of the CB include Nano Excel case, which has earned over `600 crore from various part of the state.
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