India Must Move from Reactive Investigation to Predictive Fraud Prevention: Garima Bhatnagar, Special CP, Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police
March 06, 2026
- Need to establish ‘Forensic Council of India’, like Arbitration Council of India, to strengthen, institutionalize role of forensic science within justice system: Dr Jaspal Singh, Chair Professor, Department of Behavioral Forensics, National Forensic Science University, MHA, GoI
- FICCI Conference on Forensics of Fraud Investigation Highlights Need for Stronger Institutional Framework, Technology Adoption and Skilled Forensic Capacity
NEW DELHI, 06 March 2026: Ms Garima Bhatnagar, Special CP, Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police, today while addressing the FICCI conference on ‘Forensics of Fraud Investigation’ said, “Strengthening India’s fraud prevention framework requires a comprehensive and multi-layered strategy that combines legal reforms, technology adoption, early warning systems, and greater citizen awareness.”
Emphasizing the need to shift the approach towards prevention, she noted that India must transition from reactive investigation to predictive prevention by leveraging integrated intelligence, advanced technologies, robust red-flag mechanisms, stronger institutional coordination, and faster asset recovery systems.
Ms Bhatnagar, further highlighted that governments across India are strengthening Economic Offences Wings in states, expanding cybercrime units, and reinforcing regulatory frameworks such as anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, digital KYC norms, enhanced transaction monitoring, and deeper international cooperation to tackle financial crimes more effectively.
Dr Jaspal Singh, Former DGP, Goa & Chair Professor, Department of Behavioral Forensics, National Forensic Science University, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, stressed the urgent need to expand and train skilled manpower across different domains of forensic science. He called for the establishment of a Forensic Council of India, on the lines of the Arbitration Council of India, to strengthen and institutionalize the role of forensic science within the justice system.
Mr Manoj Kumar Meena, Director (NCTAU/Data Analytics), Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, highlighted the growing threat posed by cybercrime, noting that the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence by cybercriminal syndicates is significantly increasing the scale and sophistication of fraud. He pointed out that AI-generated phishing and fraudulent emails are now estimated to be up to four times more effective while requiring far less effort to produce, making such attacks more scalable and easier to execute.
Mr Sanjay Kaushik, Member, FICCI Corporate Security & DRR Committee & Managing Director, Netrika Consulting India Pvt Ltd, emphasized that effectively tackling forensic fraud requires close coordination among corporates, law enforcement agencies, regulators, forensic professionals, and technology experts. He noted that platforms such as the FICCI conference play a crucial role in bringing together diverse stakeholders and facilitating dialogue on practical solutions to emerging fraud risks.
The conference brought together regulators, law enforcement officials, industry leaders, forensic experts, and technology specialists to deliberate on evolving fraud typologies, digital evidence management, emerging technologies, and collaborative strategies for strengthening fraud detection and investigation mechanisms in India.