E-Paper
Two held, 33 identified in crackdown on online child sexual abuse content
The operation, codenamed CSEAM-4, conducted on Thursday, spanned 40 locations across 18 districts and three commissionerates following actionable cyber tip-lines from the Indian cyber crime coordination centre of the ministry of home affairs (MHA).
Punjab Police’s cybercrime division has arrested two persons and identified 33 suspects involved in viewing, transmitting and distributing child sexual exploitative and abusive material using various online platforms, said director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Friday.
The operation, codenamed CSEAM-4, conducted on Thursday, spanned 40 locations across 18 districts and three commissionerates following actionable cyber tip-lines from the Indian cyber crime coordination centre of the ministry of home affairs (MHA).
The Supreme Court in a judgment had clarified that viewing, possessing and not reporting child sexual exploitative and abuse material (CSEAM) is punishable under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Act. CSEAM 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.
Those arrested have been identified as Akash Babu, a resident of Rajasthani Colony in Khanna and Harpreet Singh, a resident of Burmajra village in Morinda, Rupnagar.
The DGP said the state cyber crime cell meticulously analysed digital evidence from platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Telegram to track offenders.
He said that during the operation, 33 suspects were identified across Punjab, with teams from field units dispatched under the guidance of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Cybercrime V Neeraja. The raids lead to the registration of two First information reports (FIRs) and the seizure of 34 mobile phones, which have been sent for forensic analysis to recover deleted data, with more arrests anticipated, he said.
The DGP said that based on the examination, more FIRs will be registered and suspects involved in CSEAM crimes will be arrested.
ADGP V Neeraja said that the cyber tiplines are generated on the basis of online activity on CSEAM particularly on platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.
