Tripura, Mizoram step up efforts to tackle cyber crime
Agartala/Aizawl, June 9: Tripura and Mizoram have taken steps to strengthen their existing setup to deal with the growing incidents of cyber crime, including misuse of social media, officials said on Saturday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Tripura has recently decided to set up a separate full-fledged Crime Branch comprising senior IPS officers.
A senior police officer said the state government has already requested the Central government to repatriate three senior IPS officers to Tripura to join the proposed Crime ranch and to deal with the diverse crimes.
"Three Tripura cadre IPS officers - Rajiv Singh, Anish Prasad and R. Gopal Krishna Rao -- currently posted in CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) are likely to return to Tripura soon.
"After they join Tripura Police, the crime branch would start making all-out efforts," the official said.
Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath said the state government recently decided to set up a separate full-fledged crime branch to improve the efficiency of police investigations and to curb the incidents of diverse crimes.
"Our government wants to make Tripura a drug free state. We want to reduce crimes against women. The state cabinet last month decided to reserve 10 per cent posts in all types of recruitment in police force for women. Currently there is four per cent women police personnel in Tripura Police," Nath told IANS.
There are cases on abuses of social media pending with Tripura Police involving both incumbent Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.
Recently a youth was arrested for "misusing" a picture of Deb in his Facebook profile and posting offensive comments against him while separate fake Facebook accounts were opened using detailed information and a photograph of Sarkar.
In Aizawl, a senior police officer said the Mizoram government would soon set up the first cyber crime police station in the state capital.
"The existing cyber crime cell under the CID would be elevated to a separate full-fledged cyber crime wing and a police station," a Deputy Inspector General rank officer of Mizoram Police said on condition of anonymity.
He said that bank frauds using information technology and abuse of social media have steadily increased in Mizoram.
"Women and children have mostly become victims of cyber crime. The state government is also considering setting up a cyber forensic laboratory and cyber training centre with financial assistance from the Union Home Ministry," the official added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
ALSO READ: Cong candidate who moved Kerala HC for name reinstatement in voter list, wins
Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
