Odisha: Cops seek cyber forensic lab to probe crime against women
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BHUBANESWAR: The commissionerate police proposed to the state police headquarters for the establishment of a cyber forensic laboratory here to investigate crime against women. Commissioner of Police (CP) Sudhanshu Sarangi sent the proposal to the director-general of police Abhay on Tuesday and urged the top cop to allot nearly Rs 1.26 crore for establishment of the lab from the Nirbhaya fund.
Explaining the need of having a cyber forensic lab in the commissionerate police system, Sarangi said most cyber offences that were committed against women either remained neglected or did not reach the logical conclusion for want of requisite technical and professional know-how. “It is highly imperative to have a cyber investigation cell in the commissionerate police with necessary digital forensic tools, which can perform database forensics, disk and data capture, email and file analysis, file view, mobile device analysis, network forensics and registry analysis,” CP’s proposal read.
Sarangi said the objective of the proposed cyber forensic lab is to provide a one-stop solution for search, analysis and securing digital data in all forms of cybercrime against women.
“Women these days are feeling helpless in the face of cyber bullying, stalking, morphing, e-mail spoofing and cyber defamation. Even in other forms of crime against women, the investigation into cyber components is facing a bottleneck in the absence of a dedicated cyber forensic lab. The proposed lab will not only help in investigating cyber crimes against women but will also provide cyber forensic support in other forms of offences against women,” Sarangi wrote in his proposal.
The twin cities police commissioner said a total Rs 1,26,85,216 would be required for the procurement of the digital tools for the lab. “The proposal does not seek funding for manpower and training. The proposal is only limited to the establishment of a well-equipped cyber forensic lab. The DGP may be pleased to accord the sanction for the proposed lab and allot the money under Nirbhaya fund,” the letter said.
Cybercrime cases have been rising in Bhubaneswar since 2018. At least 124 cybercrime cases were registered in the capital city in 2019 as against 79 in 2018. A total of 51 such cases were reported between January 1 and June 30 this year.
At present, Odisha’s lone cyber forensic laboratory is functioning from the premises of the state forensic science laboratory (SFSL) in Bhubaneswar. Experts at the cyber forensic laboratory, which is being used by the police from across the state, are carrying out forensic examinations of computer devices, mobile phones, encrypted files, pornographic and other incriminating digital materials collected from crime scenes.