Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 5 (Inditop.com) Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose Friday said cyber crimes have been steadily on the rise in Kerala and the numbers may cross 50,000 this year.
“With mobile phones now coming under the purview of the IT Act, all such cyber crimes are now categorized as criminal cases and those found guilty can be sent to jail,” said Punnoose at a workshop organised by the State Women’s Commission on Disappearing Girls – Problems and Solutions.
He added that the cyber cases have gone up dramatically from around 16,000 in 2008 to 32,000 in 2009. He said the numbers may cross 50,000 in 2010.
“Women appear to be the most gullible ever since mobile phones made an entry. Today, 40 percent of cyber cases are of indecent pictures taken of women or even digitally morphing them,” said Punnoose.
He also added that the number of people reported missing in the state has also gone up and last year 4,000 such cases were lodged of which 25 percent were children.
Kerala Police has set up an exclusive cyber police station that has a state-wide jurisdiction, he said.
Incidentally, it was in November that the cyber police registered its first ever first information report (FIR) following a written complaint from ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan saying that he was being defamed by some people by sending false e-mails showing a mansion which reportedly belonged to him.
