Telangana Police will set up a cybercrimes lab to deal with such cases targeting women and children.

To be known as SHE Cyber Lab, this special unit will come up in the women’s safety wing of the state police.

An MoU was signed on Friday between the women’s safety wing and the Centre for Research on Cyber Intelligence and Digital Forensics (CRCIDF) to establish the cybercrimes lab.

Additional Director General of Police, Women Safety, Swati Lakra said they will work together for capacity building, investigation assistance, content development, and creating awareness.

Director-General of Police M. Mahender Reddy, who was present at the signing of the MoU, said that the state government is giving priority to the safety of women who constitute 50 per cent of the state’s population. As part of this, the cybercrimes lab to check crimes against women and children is being set up.

He said that the Police Department, in collaboration with various stakeholders in society, has taken several measures for women’s safety. He said the lab will help in creating awareness about cybercrimes and in cracking cases.

The police chief said that every case of crimes against women and children registered during Covid-19 induced lockdown had a cyber element in it, and cyber warriors were being appointed at the level of police stations to receive the complaints about cybercrimes and deal with the cases.

The DGP said the cyber lab being set up with IT professionals will prove useful in checking the cybercrimes against women and children.

Lakra pointed out during the lockdown, there was a 7 percent increase in cybercrimes against women and a 5 percent increase in crimes against children. She said social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are being used to commit cybercrimes.

She said this was the first cyber lab of its kind to be set up anywhere in the country to check cyber crimes against women and children and to investigate the cases.

DIG Sumati said that the CRDCIDF will assist with the latest scientific knowledge and IT expertise. The lab will deal with cases like cyber-based harassment, domestic violence, NRI cases, human trafficking, sexual offenses against children, and child pornography.