Ahmedabad To Get Its First Women Only Cyber Cell To Address Crime Against Women

AHMEDABAD: Taking a step forward in addressing issues faced by women victims of cyber crime city police is going to see its first ‘women only’ cyber cell.

Earlier sensitive crimes like cyberstalking, circulation of morphed nude images, leaked video and social media offence, sextortion and even deep fakes targeting the fairer sex were handled by men at the crime branch’s cyber cell. It was observed that women approaching the police used to hesitate or feel uncomfortable discussing such matters. This is about to change now.

The cyber cell will have a ‘women only’ division for the first time. The city police will soon establish two police stations to handle cybercrime against women. One of the women’s cyber cells is expected to be established on the first floor of the Madhupura Mahila police station.

A budget for purchasing basic equipment and furniture has been approved. The initiative is a part of the Nirbhaya project. This was done in part because many women do not come forward to file complaints, particularly in cases of sexual assault and stalking.

There will be two police stations for cyber crimes against women, one in the city’s east and one in the city’s west.

“We proposed for cyber women police stations under the Nirbhaya project, for which buildings have been identified, and we have been training women cops to investigate cyber cases involving women victims,” a Gujarat police officer said.

He claims that women are frequently targeted by cyber stalkers and their image and video are morphing for extortion or to threaten them.

“There are several cases where jilted lovers or men with whom the victims broke up in the past, post obscene pictures and videos of women with vulgar remarks,” said the officer.

In such cases, women are hesitant to interact with male police officers. As a result, we’ve decided to deploy female cops, he explained.