Hasan Hadi /Dehradun
Uttarakhand is set to expand its cybercrime policing network with two new cyber police stations in Nainital and Haridwar, as the state seeks to strengthen its capacity to investigate cyber frauds.
At present, the state has two cyber police stations in Dehradun and Udham Singh Nagar and the proposed additions are expected to increase the police force’s capacity to investigate cybercrime cases. The expansion comes alongside a separate initiative to establish a State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (S4C) in Dehradun, which will serve as a specialised hub for technical assistance, investigation and coordination among agencies.
The Special Task Force (STF) senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said that the state government had issued a notification for establishing the centre and work to set up the cyber headquarters in Dehradun had begun. More than 80 proposals have been sent to the government to strengthen the STF and improve its capacity to deal with cybercrime.
Around 12 cyber experts will be required at the proposed headquarters to assist with technical investigations, analyse digital evidence and help track cybercriminals. The centre is expected to improve coordination between district cyber units, cyber police stations, financial institutions, telecom service providers, social media platforms and central agencies.
Singh said that the state’s cyber police stations would be strengthened after the coordination centre becomes operational. The proposed stations in Nainital and Haridwar would expand the dedicated infrastructure for investigating cyber offences, while the Dehradun headquarters would focus on statewide coordination and specialised technical support. The government has also earmarked Rs nine crore for cybercrime related capacity building, according to information provided for the initiative.
