City to get cyber crime police station

Date: January 17, 2008
Source: Hindustantimes.com


A police station dedicated to investigate cyber crimes with no jurisdiction limits is what the Mumbai police can expect in about a fortnight.

“In cyber world, geographical jurisdiction limits either overlap or are virtually non-existent to a large extent,” said Joint commissioner of police (administration) Hemant Karkare. He, however, added, “but for all official purposes, its limit has been fixed within the state”.

Besides servers of a majority of internet service providers in the country are located in Mumbai and cyber offences committed through these servers are bound to be investigated here, said Karkare.

He said that if a cyber offence is committed in Chennai through a Mumbai-based server, the police of that city would seek help from the Mumbai police. “The same procedure is being followed at present. Now it will be more organised,” Karkare added.

The purpose for setting up a special cyber crime police station is to do away with procedural formalities and strain on time associated with the current functioning, said Karkare. “If a cyber offence is registered at the Borivli police station, the investigation is invariably done by the Cyber Crime Cell (CCC) though the chargesheet is filed at Borivli while the cyber cell personnel appear in court during trial,” said Karkare, explaining how ample time and energy of the staff starved CCC.”

Once the police station becomes functional, it will be merged with the Cyber Crime Cell, including its personnel, currently numbering 19. Like the cyber crime cell, it will function under the DCP, Enforcement, a unit of the Mumbai police crime branch.

Karkare said most of the personnel would be given on-the-job training, though periodic training will be held by Nasscom and other private bodies.

Asked whether the new police station would be able to meet the expectations, especially in view of the weak Information Technology (IT) act, Karkare said, “The cyber world and cyber crime same are a new phenomenon. Countries across the world are struggling to fight this new menace. Ours is a new beginning and we will learn from experience.”

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