Now Reading: MHA wants officers above inspector rank to probe cybercrime under IT Act
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MHA wants officers above inspector rank to probe cybercrime under IT Act
MHA wants officers above inspector rank to probe cybercrime under IT Act
The MHA has proposed amending the IT Act to require that cybercrime investigations be conducted by police officers above the rank of inspector. The proposal has been sent to MeitY after a…
The Story in Brief
The MHA has proposed amending the IT Act to require that cybercrime investigations be conducted by police officers above the rank of inspector. The proposal has been sent to MeitY after a recommendation by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, which said it would improve probe quality. The committee also said these officers must be well-versed in digital forensics and cyber laws. Currently, Section 78 allows inspectors to investigate. The rank was lowered from DSP to inspector in 2008. The report was tabled in Lok Sabha by BJP MP Satish Kumar Gautam on Friday. The government's action taken report released on August 7 confirms the proposal. MeitY has not yet responded.
The Indian Opinion
The move to entrust cybercrime probes to officers above inspector rank sounds sensible, but it risks becoming a bureaucratic shuffle without real investment in training. The committee itself stressed the need for officers well-versed in digital forensics and cyber laws. The real test will be whether MeitY and state police forces actually set up such training programmes, or this remains another paper reform. Can the system produce enough skilled senior officers to handle the rising tide of cybercrime?
Sources (2): hindustantimes.com, hindustantimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
