Thu Sep 25 08:54:14 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:
**Summary:**
A recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has revealed significant lapses in the implementation of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) in Odisha. The audit, covering the period from 2013 to March 2023, uncovered privacy breaches, failures in investigative processes, and inconsistencies in data recording. Key findings include the preparation of charge sheets by unauthorized officers, the failure to register FIRs for missing children, non-reporting of non-cognizable cases, disclosure of sensitive information on the citizen portal, and incorrect reporting of case closures. These findings point to serious flaws in the system’s functionality and adherence to protocols, potentially compromising the integrity of the justice system.
**News Article:**
**CAG Report Exposes “Serious Lapses” in Odisha’s Crime Tracking System**
**Bhubaneswar, September 25, 2025** – A scathing report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has uncovered significant flaws in the implementation of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) in Odisha, raising concerns about privacy and the integrity of criminal investigations. The audit, which evaluated the system’s performance from its inception in 2013 until March 2023, was presented to the Assembly on Wednesday evening.
The CAG report highlights a series of “serious lapses,” including instances where charge sheets were prepared by officers not designated as investigating officers (IOs). The audit found 2,080 such cases across 217 police stations between 2018 and 2023.
The report also revealed alarming data management issues. Auditors discovered 5,566 missing children complaints where FIRs were not registered, despite being mandatory. Further, 9,642 non-cognisable cases went unrecorded by 29 police stations within the CCTNS.
Privacy breaches were another key area of concern. The CAG found that in 1,631 cases across 405 police stations, sensitive details of women victims and juvenile offenders were exposed on the citizen portal.
Adding to the problems, the audit also revealed inconsistencies in case closures, with 190 cases incorrectly reported as closed, even though charge sheets had not been forwarded to the courts.
The CAG report indicates a systematic failure in adhering to protocol. The system showed significant control failure in enforcing chronological sequencing and logical sequencing of actions, resulting in untenable and illogical recording of events, such as registration of FIR prior to registration of General Diary (GD) entries and recording of arrests and seizures prior to recording of FIRs, it said.
The findings raise serious questions about the efficacy and reliability of the CCTNS in Odisha, potentially impacting the delivery of justice and the protection of sensitive information. The report is expected to prompt a review of the system and the implementation of corrective measures to address the identified shortcomings.
—
I hope this is helpful!
First Piper 