India to Open First Cyber Police Station

BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - India's first police station to exclusively handle cyber crimes such as computer hacking, data damage and Internet fraud will start work in Bangalore on September 15. The station, which would cover crimes under India's information technology law passed last year, was aimed at taking quick action on solving cyber crimes, taking the burden from local police. The station will serve the state of Karnataka. Local police stations would continue to register cyberspace crimes and would also carry out searches. The Cyber Crime Police Station (CCPS) has set up a Web site for complaints (http://ccps.karnatakastatepolice.org). India, joining a handful of nations, last year passed the cyber law that covers a wide range of issues, from the potential of electronic commerce to the possible threats posed by too much policing of Internet. Law and order are state-level subjects under India's constitution, and is governed by the provincial administration. Karnataka had set up in 1999 a cyber crime cell with experts called in from leading Bangalore software firms Wipro Ltd and Infosys Technologies and the Indian Institute of Science. ``The same cell has now been given the status of a police station,'' said the official.