PRAYAGRAJ, June 14 -- Even as cyber fraud cases continue to rise, Prayagraj's cyber police station is struggling to keep pace with investigations due to an acute shortage of manpower and resources, leaving several cases pending for months and, in some instances, years. Officials said that while investigations are expected to be completed within 60 days of receiving complaints, the limited number of officers makes adherence to the timeline difficult. The cyber police station, which handles fraud cases involving Rs.5 lakh and above, currently functions with just two inspectors and four sub-inspectors. According to official records, 96 cases were registered in 2025. Between January and May 2026, another 23 cases were reported, indicating a steady flow of serious cybercrime complaints. Om Narayan Gautam, cyber police station in-charge, said an average of two to eight cases are registered every month. He said the shortage of staff becomes more challenging as many accused operate from states such as Jharkhand, West Bengal and Delhi, requiring separate teams for tracking and arrests. Officials said only the station house officer (SHO) has an official vehicle, while other personnel depend on trains and buses to conduct raids outside the state. As a result, many investigations remain pending for over a year. The resource crunch is evident in a Rs.65 lakh cyber fraud case in which two accused from Jharkhand are yet to be arrested despite non-bailable warrants being issued nearly two years ago. Police officials said cyber police stations need additional staff, better technology and adequate vehicles to tackle the growing threat of online fraud effectively....