The Crime Investigation Department has opened cyberbullying sheets against cybercrime offenders in the State, similar to how suspect sheets, history sheets and Known Depredator (KD) lists are maintained against those with a criminal history.
The Cybercrime division of the CID will keep track of the cyberbullying sheeters, who have been booked for offences like stalking, posting objectionable comments on social media profiles and uploading doctored or derogatory content of women on the Internet.
“We have started opening cyberbullying sheets from August 3. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country. A few Cybercrime offenders, against whom the sheets were opened, are from Andhra Pradesh while a few are from neighbouring States,” said CID Additional Director P.V. Sunil Kumar.
G.R. Radhika, Superintendent of Police of the Cybercrime division of the CID, said that while a large number of women are victims of cybercrimes in the State, only 32% of them come forward to lodge a police complaint.
“As the data on cybercrimes is going up by each passing day in the State, we thought of opening cyberbullying sheets against the suspects. We opened the sheets against 562 persons in just 20 days. A dedicated team of cybercrime experts are tracking the movements of the suspects,” Ms. Radhika said.
Mr. Sunil Kumar said that the sheets were opened against the offenders who were booked in multiple cases. The accused were harassing women and girls on various social media groups by creating fake profiles, morphing photographs and by posting indecent comments against public representatives, VIPs, celebrities and the general public, he said.
“The Cybercrime police are on the job of collecting the details of the fraudsters. Victims are requested to dial ‘112’ to register cases against online stalkers,” the Additional DG said.
More cyberbullying sheets will be opened against the stalkers and hackers. A strict vigil will be kept on the sheeters on their activities on social media groups and the Internet, Mr. Sunil Kumar added.
