11 pc jump in cyber crime in 2020, NCRB data in Home Panel report

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Home Committee that as per the report "Crime in India, 2019, of NCRB, the data of cyber crimes in the States/UTs was 21,796 in 2017, 27,248 cases in 2018, 44735 in 2019 and stood at 50035 in 2020. 

The data for 2020 has been obtained from the report "Crime in India, 2020 of the NCRB. A total of 50,035 cases in 2020 were registered under cyber crimes, showing an increase of 11.8 per cent in registration over 2019 (44,735 cases). 

The crime rate under this category increased from 3.3 in 2019 to 3.7 in 2020. In 2020, 60.2 per cent of cyber-crime cases registered were for the motive of fraud (30,142 out of 50,035 cases) followed by sexual exploitation with 6.6 per cent (3,293 cases) and extortion with 4.9 per cent (2,440 cases). 

The Committee was deeply concerned with the rise of a number of cases in cyberspace with cyber criminals resorting to newer methods and new modus operandi to commit such crimes. 

As per the Committee report submitted to police, it has been brought to the notice of the panel that some of the states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, Assam do not have a single cyber crime cell, while in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, only one or two cyber crime cells have been set up. 

The Committee recommended that MHA may advise states to set up cyber cells in all the districts. 

The States should map the cyber crime hotspots which will help in quick detection of crimes and taking proactive measures to prevent cyber crimes. 

The Committee also recommends upgrading the existing cyber cells by setting up dark web monitoring cells and social media monitoring cells to tackle different types of cyber along with traditional police recruitments, there is a need to induct technical experts into the police force. 

The Standing Committee on Home Affairs led by Anand Sharma on Thursday has submitted a detailed report on Police-Training, modernisation and reforms. 

This report was laid on the floor of the House.