THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state police seems to have ignored a directive of the State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights to repeal a circular issued by the DGP in 2009 which, according to the commission, was hampering a quick response to cyber-related crimes.
The commission had issued its directive on October 10 and had asked the police to furnish an action-taken report by the end of November.
However, DGP T. P. Sen Kumar said he was unaware of such a directive by the commission. "This has not come to my notice nor has anyone brought it to my notice," the DGP said.
Sources in the commission said that the directive was put up on its website but conceded that it was not forwarded to the DGP and other officials of the police department.
According to the commission, the 2009 circular not only renders the State Cyber Cell virtually toothless but also complicates the procedure for the police to take up child-related cyber crimes.
The 2009 circular states: "Cases will not normally be registered by the Cyber police station by obtaining complaints directly from the public. Such cases will be first registered at the local PS concerned and wherever it is felt by the unit head that application of cyber forensic techniques is essential, the case will be referred to the Cyber police station." Usually, considerable time would have elapsed before the local PS hands over the case.
The commission had made other critical recommendations, too, in its directive. It states that child-related cyber crimes should be dealt solely by the Cyber crime police station at the state level. As of now, there is a multitude of cells dealing with cyber crimes - state cyber cell, district cyber cells and Hi-Tech Cell.
There is duplication in the work, too. Police sources too admit to the chaos but said nothing has been done as yet to iron things out.
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