Jammu Kashmir Among States Reporting Rise in Cyber Crime as Centre Flags Gaps in Digital Policing | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a consistent rise in cyber crime cases over the past five years, with incidents increasing from 73 in 2019 to 185 in 2023, according to fresh data presented by the Union Home Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The trend mirrors a nationwide spike, prompting the Centre to outline a series of measures aimed at strengthening digital policing and cyber forensics across States and Union Territories.

Responding to a question by MP Raghav Chadha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the latest Crime in India report shows a year-on-year increase in cyber crime cases nationally, with all-India figures rising sharply from 44,735 in 2019 to 86,420 in 2023. Jammu and Kashmir, listed among the Union Territories, reported 120 cases in 2020, 154 in 2021, 173 in 2022 and 185 in 2023, reflecting a steady upward trajectory.

The minister noted that policing and public order fall under State jurisdiction, and many districts across the country continue to lack dedicated cyber crime units, trained personnel and digital forensic laboratories. Jammu and Kashmir, similar to several other regions, relies on Central support through specialised schemes and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre for capacity-building and technical assistance.

Detailing the national response, the ministry highlighted the role of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, which coordinates cyber policing efforts and organises State Connect and Thana Connect sessions to streamline practices across police forces. To build forensic capability, the Centre has operationalised National Cyber Forensic Laboratories in Delhi and Assam, together providing early-stage forensic support to State and UT investigators. The Delhi laboratory alone has assisted law enforcement agencies in nearly 12,952 cyber crime cases.

The government also pointed to increasing reliance on digital reporting platforms. The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal continues to be the main channel for citizens to report offences, with a special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. In addition, the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System has emerged as a critical tool for stopping fraudulent financial transfers. According to the ministry, the system has already helped save more than Rs 7,130 crore in over 23 lakh complaints. A nationwide toll-free helpline, 1930, supports complainants in registering online fraud cases.

To address financial and organised cyber fraud, the ministry said it has established a Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre at I4C, where representatives from banks, telecom providers, payment aggregators and law enforcement agencies work together to respond quickly to emerging threats. As part of fraud mitigation efforts, more than 11.14 lakh SIM cards and 2.96 lakh IMEI numbers flagged by police authorities have been blocked.

The government emphasised capacity-building measures, including the CyTrain Massive Open Online Courses platform, where more than 1,44,895 police and judicial officers are enrolled, and over 1,19,628 certificates have been issued. Under the Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children scheme, cyber forensic-cum-training laboratories have been commissioned in 33 States and Union Territories, training more than 24,600 law enforcement personnel, prosecutors and judicial officers.

New technology tools, including the Sahyog portal for sending notices to online platforms and a national suspect registry of cyber crime identifiers, have also been introduced. As of September 2024, the suspect registry had processed more than 18.43 lakh identifiers and enabled institutions to decline suspicious transactions worth Rs 8,031.56 crore.

The ministry said these combined measures aim to bridge digital infrastructure gaps and enhance cyber policing capacity amid rising online crime, both in Jammu and Kashmir and across the country.