Social media shy, the CBI has finally made an appearance on Twitter and Instagram ahead of the forthcoming Interpol General Assembly in which 195 countries are likely to take part. The agency created its accounts on both platforms with user ID CBI_CIO for the three-day 90th General Assembly starting October 18 here, officials said.
In its visual symbolism, the logo for INTERPOL’s 90th General Assembly, being held in New Delhi from October 18 to 21, has at its center the ‘Konark wheel’.
#InterpolInIndia,” the agency’s Twitter handle said in its opening message.
“When deciphered in terms of INTERPOL’s commitment and engagement, the ‘Konark Wheel’ in this logo serves to inspire INTERPOL’s 24x7 functioning and is encircled by three-leaved spherical elements in colours of India’s national flag #InterpolInIndia.”
“The three encircling spherical elements signify the creation of international bonds through INTERPOL, steadfast commitment towards the preservation of security globally and the achievement of law enforcement goals,” it said in two subsequent tweets.
Unlike sister organisations like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had kept social media at an arm’s length, sticking to the age-old practice of issuing press releases for sharing information.
The General Assembly will focus on cybercrimes, financial crimes and Child Sexual Abuse Material peddled on the Internet among other issues, they said. Having already organised a General Assembly in 1997, India was given an out-of-turn chance to organise the event through a vote on the eve of the 75th anniversary of its Independence.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had made a proposal in this regard to Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock, who called on the Minister during his visit to India.
The General Assembly is Interpol’s supreme governing body, comprising representatives from each of the 195 member countries which meet annually. Each member country may be represented by one or several delegates who are typically Ministers, chiefs of police, heads of their Interpol National Central Bureaus and senior Ministry officials.
India, which joined the organisation in 1949, is one of the oldest members of The International Criminal Police Organisation, known as Interpol.
Headquartered in Lyon, France, Interpol was founded in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission (ICPC). The name Interpol served as the agency's telegraphic address in 1946, and was chosen as its common name in 1956.
The CBI is designated as the National Central Bureau of India for Interpol. The agency has actively participated in two recent operations based on Interpol inputs -- Operation Megha Chakra against online Child Sexual Abuse Material and Operation Garud against narcotics.