KOZHIKODE: Though e-mail and internet frauds, mobile phone abuses and other cyber crimes are on the rise in the state, the expansion programme of the Cyber Crime Police Station, Thiruvananthapuram, which has jurisdiction all over Kerala, has been caught in red tape.The proposal was submitted by Anil Kant, IGP, State Crimes Record Bureau, to the Home Department four months ago. However, the department cut down the recommendation of posting 37 officers in the station to 16 and submitted to the Finance Department. It is learnt that the Finance Department had objected the proposal of creating new posts and returned the same to Home Department citing financial constraints. Cyber Crime Police Station of Kerala started functioning in 2009. The station is under the direct supervision of the IGP, State Crimes Record Bureau, and the overall supervision of the ADGP (Crimes). Nine staff including a DySP, two CIs, two SIs, two Head Constables and two Constables were appointed in 2009. The officers were posted on a working arrangement basis. Now, the station has an 11-member team consisting of a DySP, two CIs, two SIs, an ASI and five Constables.“The number of crimes and complaints has increased a lot in the recent years. Nowadays, every crime has a cyber connection such as mobile phone calls, sms, e-mails etc. So the responsibilities of Cyber Crime officials have also increased manifold. In this situation, immediate action is necessary to strengthen the Cyber Crime Police Station,” a top official with the Cyber Crime Police Station said. “We need well trained officials to track down the culprits. The staff shortage will affect the investigation,” he added.As many as 24 and 25 cases were registered in 2009 and 2010, respectively, at the station. The total number of cases registered till September this year is 21, said officials. The Cyber Police Station will render all necessary assistance to investigating officers in Cyber Crimes whenever requested for. According to the officials, they dispose around 20 cyber related complaints a day. The police station will also deal with all suspicious cyber activities. According to the data available, as many as 197 and 370 complaints were lodged at the station in 2009 and 2010, respectively. A total of 579 complaints have been filed till 2011 September.“However, comparing to the neighbouring states, our strength is very short. In Andhra Pradesh, there is one Additional Superintendent of Police, two DySps, four inspectors, six Sub-Inspectors and other expert staff in the division. And the Bangalore Cyber Crime Police Station team comprises four DySps, three senior inspectors along with many expert hands. Considering these numbers, our strength is too less and our authorities are totally ignoring the facts”, said another official of the Cyber Crime Police Station.
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