Noida Cops Fight Cyber Crime Blindfolded
NEW DELHI: Noida is often called the IT hub of Uttar Pradesh, drawing the best from the corporate world to set shop here. But when it comes to handling complaints emanating from these units—particularly from tech firms and banks—the local cyber police cell appears to be stuck in the Stone Age.
There are 400 complaints relating to data theft, bank fraud, cyber bullying and stalking pending with Noida Police’s cyber cell since January. There are just three “untrained” constables aided by a private cyber professional to handle the massive workload.
There is no forensic lab, not even the basic ‘Oxygen Forensic’, a software costing around Rs 1.5 lakh, which is used to define preliminary evidence. To use the Net, constables on duty have to pay from their own pockets. Even the webpage of the cyber cell is dysfunctional. The printer is also out of order.
A senior police officer says that the recent leaks in the railway and AIPMT exams were executed through phones and computers, but the UP Police is not equipped to investigate them. “Most policemen in the cyber cells don’t even know what an IP address is,” he said.
The hitches do not end here. A Noida Police official told The Sunday Standard, “Many of these pending cases are of cyber bullying and harassment, which cannot be solved as social networking sites such as Facebook have a clause of retaining the data for 30 days. Within this time period, the local police can work on the case and ask for the details. If we are unable to meet this deadline, the company does not provide the details to the police but to the court, which makes the process longer.”
“To investigate a cyber crime, one has to be trained and updated with the cyber laws. UP Police lacks this knowledge,” says Kislay Chaudhary, an IT professional working with the UP Police for the last three years, who is currently posted at the Noida cyber cell.
Additional SP special task force of the UP Police Triveni Singh says, “What is most alarming is the rise in cyber crimes in the last five years. It has crossed 500 from just 100 five years ago.” Singh, a Phd in cyber crime, looks after cyber crimes in the state.
However, Devendra Yadav, superintendent of police Noida City and incharge of the cyber cell, is planning to revamp it. “Skill is a must. We are taking help from outside as we need the expertise in this field. You will see drastic changes in cyber crime investigations,” says Yadav, who has a master’s in Cyber Security and Cyber Law. He has convened many training programmes for cops in this field and is planning to do the same in Noida.