Expressing concern over the traditional approaches of the investigative machinery in dealing with cybercrimes, the Orissa High Court has felt the need to upgrade the skills of the investigative officers, who are dealing with such techno-legal cases. The court has stressed on improvement in cyber intelligence, cyber forensics and cyber prosecution training.

While granting bail to a woman arrested for allegedly abetting her husband’s suicide, Justice SK Panigrahi in his order has discussed about the “grim scenario” of cyber policing. The Sambalpur resident had reportedly committed suicide last year apparently after watching intimate TikTok videos of his wife with another man shot prior to their marriage.  

“Most of our investigating officers are neither well-trained nor do they understand the nuances of cybercrime,” Justice Panigrahi said in his order. It is imperative that the personnel engaged in investigation need to be imparted periodical trainings, which are long overdue, to boost the hitherto “rickety” cyber policing, he emphasised.

Justice Panigrahi too expressed concern over the increasing trend of cyber bullying activities and said present laws in the country are grossly insufficient to regulate the private companies that make such apps. “The IT Act of 2000 does impose an obligation upon such companies to take down content and exercise due diligence before uploading any content, but India lacks a specialised law to address the crimes like cyber bullying,” he observed.