Public prosecutors told to get tech-savvy

Government will extend full support to fight against cyber crime: Chinarajappa

Future-ready:Deputy Chief Minister N. Chinarajappa releasing a hand book on ‘Cyber crimes and electronics evidence to prosecutors’, at a workshop in Vijayawada on Saturday. Commissioner of Police D. Gautam Sawang, eSF Labs Limited founder A. Anil Kumar (extreme left), Secretary, Law and Legislative Affairs, C.S.S.V. Durga Prasad (extreme right), are seen. —PHOTO: V. RAJU

: Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Home, N. Chinarajappa stressed the need for public prosecutors to have proper understanding of electronic evidence and ways of producing it in courts for curbing the growing menace of cyber crimes.

“Criminals are able to easily escape from the law enforcement agencies by using advanced technologies. Prosecutors cannot afford to lag behind as cyber crimes are going to acquire new forms with each passing day landing more people in trouble,” he asserted.

Addressing a workshop on ‘Cyber crimes and digital evidence’ jointly organised by the Directorate of Prosecutions (DoP) and eSF Labs Ltd. here on Saturday, Mr. Chinarajappa said gone were the days of murder for gain and other such bodily offences.

“The profile of crimes has undergone a drastic change over the years. Cyber crimes and economic offences have become order of the day. If the criminals are able to carry out their illegal activities in the cyber space with the kind of expertise professionals have, prosecutors and investing officers (police) cannot stay behind. They have to make the best use of technology. The government will extend full support,” he asserted.

Mr. Chinarajappa observed that Internet and mobile phones, particularly the smart ones, made the lives of criminals easier and unless they were halted in their tracks, people would be at greater risk of losing their money and properties without their knowledge.

“The value of whatever evidence is available is not known either to the investigating or prosecuting officers as they overlook its admissibility in courts,’’ Mr. Chinarajappa said.

Loopholes in law

The Deputy Chief Minister further said the loopholes in law were exploited by criminals and technology was coming to their rescue these days. The scope for their unlawful activities widened because of the explosive growth in information and communication technologies and people lapping them up without any doubt just for the sake of convenience”, he added.

eSF Labs Limited founder A. Anil gave a presentation on trends in cyber crime. Police Commissioner D. Gautam Sawang, Director of Prosecutions C.C. Subramanyam, Joint Director of Prosecutions G. Mallikarjuna Rao and Deputy Director B. Ramakoteswara Rao were present.