- विज्ञापन -
Fazilka: In a massive operation, Punjab Police’s Cybercrime Division has arrested one person and identified 54 suspects involved in viewing, transmitting and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) using various online platforms.
“The arrested accused is a resident of Ramsra, #Fazilka. Police teams have seized electronic devices following standard procedures, with proper hash values recorded. An FIR has been registered under Section 67B of the IT Act at the Cyber Police Station,” posted Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav on Thursday.
39 devices were seized from different suspects during the operation and sent for forensic analysis. Further investigation is ongoing to identify and dismantle the racket.
The development came close on the heels of the judgement passed by the Supreme Court clarifying that viewing, possessing and not reporting CSAM content is punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act.
CSAM refers to any content depicting or exploiting minors in a sexual manner, including photos, videos, or media, which is illegal to produce, distribute, or possess, causing long-lasting harm to victims and considered a severe form of child exploitation due to the lasting impact it has on victims.
The arrested accused has been identified as Vijaypal, a resident of Ramsra in Fazilka. Police teams have also seized electronic devices following standard procedures, with proper hash values recorded. An FIR has been registered under Section 67B of the Information Technology (IT) Act at the Cyber Police Station in this regard.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that following the Cyber Tiplines regarding transmission of CSAM content received from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the State Cyber Crime Division in coordination with CPs/SSPs launched a special operation to apprehend individuals involved in viewing, transmitting, and distributing such content.
He said that in the first phase of the operation, as many as 54 suspects have been identified across Punjab, while, one person found selling and sharing CSAM using Instagram and Telegram has been arrested from Fazilka.
The DGP said that Police teams have seized 39 devices from different suspects during the operation and are being sent for forensic analysis. Further, investigations are underway to identify and apprehend more offenders involved in such heinous crimes, he added.
