BY SHYAM ZAMBAULIKER | NT

MARGAO: Over the past few years, the cyber cafe culture in South Goa has grown manifold, as is evident from the number of cyber cafes that have mushroomed in Salcete.

These cafes offer various services at standard terminals at rates ranging from Rs 30 to Rs 40 per hour. Margao being the commercial center of the state, has seen a great number of cyber cafés and the owners of these have attracted a large clientele over the years.

It is learnt that some prominent cyber cafés in the city have an average membership of about 75 customers and this number keeps growing by the month. It is also learnt that most of the users visit to either send or check their emails.

Others just like to surf on the net. Yet others visit to find and accumulate information on various topics. Many school and college students and even university students, spend time on the net to find matter and information to complete their assignments.

The response from the customers is very good, however, with criminals getting increasingly tech savvy, and using the latest developments in communication and technology to commit crimes, the police have started the process of asking owners, managers or in charges of all cyber cafes, not to allow the use of their premises or services by any person, unless his or her identity is verified and established, and a record of the same maintained. The District Magistrate, South Goa, in exercise of the powers vested under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure-1973, has warned that any person contravening this order shall be punishable under section 188 of Indian Penal Code.

The police, in the backdrop of the blasts that had taken place in other states, have kept a strict watch on such activities, and their job is not easy as there is a large number of cyber cafes in Salcete, particularly in Margao, where one can walk to any part of the city and see a sign announcing a cyber café.

An owner of a city cyber café informed that police personnel have directed them to maintain a Users’ Register in the Performa annexure, with identity details of the users. The owners and in-charges have also been asked to keep an eye open for suspicious movements, or other suspicious activities. Besides, the owners have been asked to inform police if they suspect any suspicious activity on the part of the users.

Another city cyber café shop owner said that they have received the instructions and accordingly a register is maintained. A customer who wants to use the Internet facility is asked his name and address, and his or her identity is recorded, and only then is he allowed to use the computer and get on the Internet. Police personnel, mostly the beat officer, visits the cyber café and takes a look at the register.

South Goa Superintendent of Police, Mr Allan D’Sa said that all in-charges of police stations in South Goa have been directed to check the activities of cyber café and see that they follow the directions given to them.

The police inspector of Margao police station, Mr Santosh Dessai, when contacted said that the Margao police have taken cognisance of the fact that extra use of computers along with Internet and information technology in day-to-day work, has given birth to a neo-intellectual class of cyber criminals. He said that since it was found that criminals are getting increasingly tech savvy, using the latest developments in communication and transport to commit crime, the Margao police have taken steps to prevent them from committing these crime.

He informed that there are over 70 cyber cafés in Margao and all of them have been asked to display instructions to be followed by customers. He said that the Margao police conduct regular inspections to determine whether directions given to them are being followed. He said the user registers are checked regularly.

He said that Internet-related crime, like any other crime, should be reported to appropriate law enforcement investigative authorities depending on the scope of the crime. He said that citizens who are aware of crimes should report them to local offices and law enforcement authorities.

Sources in South Goa district police administration said that there are directions to the in charge of the police station to issue direction to the beat police officers to visit the cyber cafes and check the user registers at these cafes.

Police said that in Salcete, over 150 cyber cafes operate and most of these are located on the coastal belt. This may be to cater to the needs of the many tourist who visit the state and usually spend a lot of their holiday time at the beaches or at the hotels near the various beaches.

Mr Rajiv Gomes, a city advocate said that Section 75 of Information Technology Act-2000, takes care of jurisdictional aspect of cyber crimes, and one can be punished irrespective of his nationality and place of commission of the offence.

He said that powers to investigate such crimes lie with police officer, not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or any officer of the Central Government or a State Government, authorised by the Central Government. The investigating officer can enter any public place, conduct a search and arrest without warrant, any person who is reasonably expected to have committed an offence or about to commit a computer related crime.

He pointed out that such an arrested person has to be produced before a Magistrate within 24 hours of arrest, pointing that provisions of Criminal Procedure Code-1973, regulates the procedure of entry, search and arrest of the accused.

While explaining what cyber crime is, one city advocate said that criminals may use the computer as a tool, target, or both, for their unlawful act. He said that with the use of Internet they can gain such price sensitive information of companies, societies, partnerships, private firms, individuals, banks, intellectual property, etc. He said crimes like stealing new product proposals, market plans, customers lists, etc, are illegal acts. He said that to curb these activities there is the Information Technology Act-2000, however, he underlined the need for unification of Internet laws to reduce the confusion in their application.

It was said that past experience of the intelligence and security agencies has established that Internet/e-mail was a major communication source of terrorist networks, around the globe, and therefore, the non maintenance of users register by cyber cafés hampers the investigation for establishing or identifying the source of communication.

Police feel that like traditional crime, cyber crime can take many shapes and can occur nearly anytime or anyplace. Criminals committing cyber crimes use a number of methods, depending on their skills and their goals.