Mumbai: Special advisory body to curb cyber crimes

Cyber Crime

Unable to deal with an onslaught of modern cyber security threats, the Maharashtra government last week decided to set up a new bipartisan advisory body to investigate high-profile cases of security and cyber breach and attacks.

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The advisory body will consist of six technical experts, including those from forensic labs, audit firms and professors of Indian Institute of Technologys (IITs), who will monitor progress of high-profile cases as well as assist the Mumbai Cyber Department crack cases.

The body will be appointed on a yearly basis, receiving a remuneration of Rs 1 lakh per member, and will work directly under the joint commissioner of police (crime). It was also decided that one of the members of the
proposed panel would look at crime branch cases only.

"The advisory panel will support officers of cyber crime department during investigations and give in depth technical assistance to crack complicated cases. We have already pitched this proposal to the home and finance departments," said senior government officials.

The Maharashtra government has been under pressure to curb the growing menace of cyber threat and crimes but it has been unable to solve them in the absence of modern forensic and criminal investigation infrastructure. The Mumbai cyber cell is under staffed and suffers from a shortage of technical assistance.

In 2014, the police received and registered as many as 2,736 complaints of cyber crime, of this the police registered 630 cases. A total of 177 persons were arrested in the year for cyber crimes and in three cases the accused was acquitted. But in not a single case anyone was convicted.

"There has not been a single conviction in the last one year in as many as 1,200 cases registered since 2010 in the entire state," a senior police official, on condition of anonymity, said.