KOTTAYAM: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said here on Sunday that the much-awaited Cyberdome, a hi-tech centre for the Kerala police to tackle the rising number of cyber crimes, will soon start functioning in the state. He was talking at a meet-the-press convened here at the Kottayam Press Club on Monday.
He said that the infrastructure facilities for the dome are satisfactory. It will start functioning at the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram by the end of October as a public private partnership (PPP) project.
He also said that a police university will be established in Kerala in the model of Punjab and Ahmedabad. The details will be finalised once the report of the expert committee chaired by A R Madhava Menon is received. Research and training facilities will be provided for the students from the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries under the facility, he said.
He also announced that two cyber police stations will be set up at Kochi and Kozhikode to deal entirely with cybercrime cases. Land has been earmarked at the Infopark for the Kochi station. The government is still in search of a site for Kozhikode station.“The number of white-collar crimes has been on the rise in the state. Action will be taken for the same without any political considerations. Enabling the state police force to deal with such cases is on the priority list,” he added.
“It was decided to invoke the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) against the assailants in the case of murdering RSS functionary E Manoj as part of preparing the FIR. The government has decided to hand over the case to the CBI following the victim’s sister’s plea and the DGP’s report pointing out the international involvements in the murder. Same was the case with the T P Shukkur and Fazal murder cases,” he said.
He also said that the second phase of Operation Kubera will soon be launched. The cases registered in the first phase are undergoing legal trial, delaying further raids.
He said that the recruitment process to the state police force will be hastened, and the force will be divided into two categories: one for investigation and the other for maintaining law and order. More CPOs and drivers will also be recruited and their working hours will be brought down to eight hours a day.
Steps will be initiated to ensure gender parity in the force and a new women’s battalion will be established as part of the endeavour.
It has already been decided to recruit 260 women and another 60 new candidates will be recruited directly to the rank of sub inspectors, he said.
On Cards
■ Two cyber police stations in Kochi and Kozhikode
■ Kochi station to come up at Infopark at Kakkanad
■ Second Phase of Operation Kubera to begin soon
■ New women’s battalion will be established
■ Recruitment process to the state police force to be hastened; More CPOs and drivers to be recruited.