Maharashtra Government Gives Independent Powers To Additional Director General (EOW)

The state government has issued directives regarding giving independent powers of investigation and control to the office of Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Maharashtra. The ADG (EOW) will now investigate the cases assigned to it by the Supreme Court, High Court, government of Maharashtra and the Director General of Police (DGP).

The ADG (EOW) will also conduct an investigation/inquiry of the financial offences in which the money involved is Rs10 crore and above, offences which are inter-state/inter-country in scope, offences whose nature is sensitive and complex and offences the scope of which is within the entire state of Maharashtra.

“In pursuance of the proposal from the DGP Office, the issue of issuing guidelines to the ADG (EOW) office was under consideration for giving independent investigative powers and powers of control over investigations. In order to control the economic crimes in the state and facilitate the investigation, the government has approved that the ADG (EOW) would work under the direction and control of thee DGP and the ADG EOW would conduct an investigation/inquiry into the financial offences with the prior approval of the DGP,” said a police officer.

“If the complaints received by the ADG (EOW) on the completion of inquiry reveals that an offence has been committed, then after getting prior permission from the DGP, the ADG (EOW) can register a case in the local police station and investigate the same. The ADG (EOW) office can conduct preliminary enquiries, searches, make arrests, file charge sheets, file final reports, etc, in connection with financial crimes under investigation by them after seeking approval from the competent authority. The jurisdiction of the ADG (EOW) will be the whole of Maharashtra, except Mumbai. The ADG (EOW) would also provide guidance and training to officers/employees of the state police force regarding the investigation and its procedures for financial crimes,” said the officer.

The ADG (EOW) would also coordinate with the counterpart authorities of other states in the country so that information/intelligence can be disseminated and shared. Also, will coordinate with central agencies, financial institutions, Reserve Bank of India and other institutions concerned, said the police.

Considering the increasing urbanisation, industrialisation, technology, computerisation, usage of e-payment and construction giving rise to the economic offences case in the state, on the lines of Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Maharashtra police in 2018 had set a new ADG (Economic Offences) Maharashtra state as a supervisory department to monitor financial crimes in the state.

Published on: Friday, July 26, 2024, 09:35 AM IST