THE NEWS FREEDOM
CHANDIGARH, MARCH 15
Punjab government has approved a proposal to set up 28 new cybercrime police stations across all 28 police districts and three Commissionerates, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Friday. Expressing gratitude to CM Bhagwant Singh Mann for approving the proposal, DGP Gaurav Yadav emphasized that these dedicated cybercrime police stations will serve as pivotal centers for investigating and combatting cyber-related offenses, including online financial fraud, identity theft, cyberbullying, hacking, and online scams.
DGP Yadav outlined that these police stations will be furnished with cutting-edge technology and manned by highly trained personnel specialized in digital forensics and cybercrime investigation. They will operate under the supervision of the respective district SSPs and CPs, with oversight from the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Cyber Crime. Presently, only one cybercrime police station has been operational in the state since 2009.
In a bid to enhance police capabilities in cybercrime investigations, the Chief Minister has allocated Rs 30 crore for upgrading the Digital Investigation Training and Analysis Centre (DITAC Lab) at the State Cyber Crime Division and Cyber Crime Investigation and Technical Support Units (CI&TSUs) at the district level. The incorporation of advanced Software Forensics Tools is expected to significantly augment the Punjab Police’s capacity to handle cases involving Child sexual assault material (CSAM), GPS data retrieval, IoS/Android Password Breaking, Cloud data retrieval, Drone Forensics, and Cryptocurrency.
ADGP Cyber Crime V Neeraja highlighted the exploitation of digitalization by criminals to exploit vulnerabilities in online infrastructure, affecting individuals and businesses. She stressed the susceptibility of youth and senior citizens to cyber fraud due to their extensive engagement with social media platforms, underscoring the importance of the new Cyber Crime Police Stations in combating cybercrime.
Meanwhile, the 24×7 Helpline 1930 at the State Cyber Crime Office stands ready to receive reports of online financial fraud and complaints on the NCRP portal.
Key objectives of cyber crime police stations
- Prompt assistance and support to victims of Cybercrimes
- Meticulous investigations into cyber-related offenses to ensure justice
- Collaboration with national and international law enforcement agencies and cyber security experts for intelligence sharing and best practices.
- Public awareness about cyber risks and education on preventive measures.
- Development and implementation of innovative strategies to counter emerging cyber threats.