महायुतीच्या सरकारपुढील येणार्‍या काळातील आव्हाने

प्रवीण दीक्षित (माजी पोलीस महासंचालक)

          महायुतीच्या आघाडीने प्रचंड बहुमत मिळवून नुकत्याच झालेल्या विधान सभा निवडणुकीत न भूतो अशा प्रकारचे यश मिळवून येणार्‍या पाच वर्षांसाठी मतदारांच्या मनात कायदा व सुव्यवस्थे बाबत मोठ्या आशा निर्माण केल्या आहेत. ह्या यशासाठी देवेन्द्र फडणवीस, एकनाथ शिंदे व अजित पवार ह्या तिघांनी व त्यांच्या कार्यकर्यांनी केलेल्या प्रयत्नांसाठी त्यांचे हार्दिक अभिनंदन करतानाच येणार्‍या काळातील आव्हानांचा आढावा घेऊन त्याबद्दल गंभीर विचार करणे जरूरीचे आहे. भारताला विकसित राष्ट्र बनवण्यासाठी नरेन्द्र मोदींनी 5 ट्रिलियन डॅालरची अर्थ व्यवस्था बनवण्याचे उद्दिष्ट ठेवलेले आहे. देवेन्द्र फडणवीस ह्यांनी त्यासाठी महाराष्ट्र 1 ट्रिलियन डॅालरचे योगदान करेल असे जाहीर केले आहे. हे प्रत्यक्षात आणण्यासाठी महाराष्ट्रात 13 टक्के आर्थिक वाढीची जरूरी आहे.आज मितीस महाराष्ट्रातील  आर्थिक विकासात फक्त 7 जिल्हे ठोस योगदान करतात असे म्हटले जाते. त्यामुळे ह्या सात जिल्ह्यांच्या समस्या व इतर जिल्ह्यांच्या समस्या ह्यांचा वेगवेगळा विचार करण्याची जरूरी आहे. भारताचा आर्थिक विकास करण्यासाठी शांतता, कायदा व सुव्यवस्था उत्तम असणे अपेक्षित आहे. नुकत्याच भुवनेश्वर येथे पार पडलेल्या पोलीस महासंचालकांच्या बैठकीत बोलताना पंतप्रधान नरेन्द्र मोदींनी ह्यासंबंधीचे सूत्र सांगितले की पोलीसांनी येणार्‍्या काळात SMART म्हणजे strategic, meticulous, adaptable, reliable and transparent बनावे. अर्थात पोलीसांनी योजनाबद्ध, बारकाव्यांचा अभ्यास करणारे, परिस्थितीशी जुळवून घेणारे, सामान्य माणसाचा विश्वास बसेल असे व पारदर्शी व्हावे ही त्यांची अपेक्षा होती. देशापुढील आव्हानांचा उल्लेख करून त्यांनी सायबर भामट्यांबद्दल जनजागृतीच्या माध्यमातून हे आव्हान संधीत परिवर्तित करण्याचे सुचवले. ह्यासाठी राष्ट्रीय पोलीस ह़ॅकॅथॅान आयोजित करण्याचे त्यांनी आवाहन केले. किनार्‍यावरील बंदरांच्या सुरक्षेकडे विशेष ध्यान देण्याचा मोदींनी आग्रह केला. समुद्रमार्गे टनांनी होणारी अमली पदार्थांची होणारी अवैध आयात व त्याचे तरुणांवरील अनिष्ट परिणाम, त्याच बरोबर, दहशतवाद व त्यावरील उपाय, माओवादी डाव्या शक्तींकडून होणारे हल्ले, आर्थिक गुन्हे, परदेशातून होणारी घुसखोरी ह्यांचा त्यांनी विशेष उल्लेख केला. 1 जुलै 2024 पासून अमलात आलेल्या तीन नवीन फौजदारी कायद्यांचा आढावा घेताना चंदीगड येथे झालेल्या परिषदेत नरेन्द्र मोदींनी अपेक्षा व्यक्त केली की वसाहतवादी संकल्पनांना आपण लवकर मूठमाती देऊ. भारतीय न्याय संहिता, भारतीय नागरिक सुरक्षा संहिता व भारतीय साक्ष्य अधिनियम ह्या कायद्यांच्या द्वारे सामान्य माणसाला त्वरित न्याय मिळेल.

        वरील उद्दिष्टे साध्य करण्यासाठी व जनतेत पोलिसांविषयी विश्वास निर्माण होण्यासाठी प्रत्येक पोलीस स्टेशन मधे जनतेच्या सहकार्याने तेथील स्थानिक समस्या सोडवण्यासाठी पोलीस मित्र योजना राबवण्याची नितांत आवश्यकता आहे. सुरक्षेच्या नावाखाली अनेक उद्योग चालकांकडून खंडणी उकळली जाते. रस्त्यावर होणारी आक्रमणे, रस्त्यावरील chain snatchings, robberies, extortions, पाकीट मारी, ह्यांच्यावर नियंत्रण आणण्यासाठी, व दृश्य सुरक्षा मिळण्यासाठी पोलीस पथकांनी ठिक ठिकाणी रोज नाकाबंदी करणे गरजेचे आहे. दरवर्षी अपघातात भारतात 1,60,000 हुन अधिक व्यक्तींचा बळी जातो, व 5 लाखांहून अधिक लोक जखमी होतात. रस्त्यावरील अपघात कमी करण्यासाठी उलट दिशेने येणारी वाहने तसेच drunken driving वरती कठोर कारवाई अपेक्षित आहे. शहरातील वाहतूक पोलीसांची संख्या कमीत कमी तिप्पट करण्याची जरूरी आहे. पोलीस, अबकारी दल (exise) वाहतूक नियंत्रण (RTO) व अन्य आवश्यक विभाग यांचे संयुक्त नियंत्रण कक्ष स्थापून संबंधितांवर तातडीने कारवाई अपेक्षित आहे. विविध सभा, निदर्शने, मोर्चे, उत्सव ह्यामुळे होणारी वाहतूक कोंडी सोडवण्यासाठी राजकारण्यांशी तसेच धार्मिक प्रमुखांशी चर्चा करून त्यासाठी मैदाने, मोकळ्या जागा निश्चित करून फक्त तिथेच परवानगी देणे जरुरीचे आहे.

          आजही पोलीस स्टेशनला गेल्यानंतर गुन्हा दाखल करायला टाळाटाळ केली जाते. Mobile चोरीस गेल्यास गहाळ म्हणून नोंद घेतली जाते.  हे टाळण्यासाठी 1 जुलै 2024 पासून लागू केलेल्या नवीन भारतीय न्याय संहिता व भारतीय नागरिक सुरक्षा संहितेप्रमाणे e-FIR दाखल करण्यास मान्यता देण्यात आली आहे. त्याला प्रसिद्धी देऊन स्त्रिया, वृद्ध व संबंधित ह्यांना e-FIR दाखल करण्यास प्रोत्साहन देणे अपेक्षित आहे. स्त्रियांच्या सुरक्षेसाठी पोलिसांना कोणत्याही माध्यमातून कळवल्यानंतर १० मिनिटात पोलीस घटनास्थळी पोचतील ह्याची खात्री करणे जरुरीचे आहे. आपात्कालीन प्रसंगांसाठी उपयोगी पडावे म्हणून बनवलेले 112 हे app अनेक ठिकाणी उपलब्ध होत नाही. भारतातील सायबर गुह्न्यातील 25 टक्के गुन्हे महाराष्ट्रात होतात. गेल्या 11 महिन्यात 12000 कोटींचे अपहरण करण्यात आले आहे. त्यासाठीची helpline 1930 ही बहुतेक वेळा engage असल्यामुळे कळवता येत नाही. त्यात तांत्रिक सुधारणा अपेक्षित आहेत.  पोलीसांना cybercrimes चे प्रशिक्षण अद्ययावत नसल्याने cybercrimes साठी विशेष तंत्रज्ञ, पो. अधिकारी व बॅंकिंग तज्ज्ञ ह्यांची संयुक्त नियंत्रण कक्षे स्थापून तातडीने कारवाई करणारी पथके ठिकठिकाणी उपलब्ध करण्याची आवश्यकता आहे. आर्थिक गुन्ह्यांचा तपास 10-10 वर्षे झाल्यानंतरही पूर्ण होत नाही, त्यामुळे अनेक पीडितांना विशेषतः वृद्धांना आत्महत्या करण्याची वेळ आलेली आहे.  पोलीस, CA, बॅंक तज्ज्ञ व महसूल अधिकारी ह्यांची संयुक्त नियंत्रण कक्ष स्थापून लोकांचे गेलेले पैसे त्वरीत परत करण्यासाठी प्रयत्न करणे जरूरीचे आहे. शहरातील अनेक नागरिकांची मुले परदेशी जाण्यामुळे त्यांच्या सुरक्षेच्या गंभीर समस्या निर्माण झाल्या आहेत. तरी ७० वर्षांहून अधिक एकट्या राहणाऱ्या व्यक्तींची पो. स्टेशन मधे नोंद ठेवून दर आठवड्याला त्यांची ख्याली खुशालीची चौकशी करण्यासाठी संबंधित पो. स्टेशनने संपर्क करणे आवश्यक आहे.

          अनुसूचित जाती, जमाती, बालके व दिव्यांग ह्यांच्या तक्रारी सोडवण्यासाठी संबंधितांची संयुक्त पथके स्थापन करून स्वयंसेवी संस्थांचा सहभाग वाढवून त्यालला लोक चळवळीचे स्वरूप देण्याची आवश्यकता आहे. त्यासाठी    अधिकारी व कर्मचारी ह्यांना संवेदनाशील बनवणे जरूरीचे आहे.  

         पोलिसांचे मनोधैर्य उंच ठेवण्यासाठी महानगरातील पोलिसांना पो. स्टेशन आवारातच बहुमजली इमारती बांधून घरे उपलब्ध करून देणे गरजेचे आहे. आज असलेली घरे मोडकळीस आलेली असून तिथे राहणार्‍या पोलिसांना आरोग्याच्या अनेक समस्यांना तोंड द्यावे लागत आहे. पोलीस अधिकारी व कर्मचारी ह्यांच्या नेमणुकीतील राजकीय हस्तक्षेप व भ्रष्टाचार बंद करून पोलीस महासंचालकांची स्वायत्तता सक्षम करणे गरजेचे आहे.

         वरील उद्दिष्टे साध्य करण्यासाठी केंद्र सरकारने सुचवल्याप्रमाणे महाराष्ट्रात राज्य सुरक्षा सल्लागार नेमून ह्या व येणार्‍या काळातील समस्यांसाठी महायुतीचे नवीन सरकार ठोस कारवाई करेल अशी अपेक्षा आहे

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Alarming scenario of Cybercrimes in India  

Praveen Dixit

According to a recent report, India has overtaken the top target for mobile malware attacks, accounting for 28% of global incidents. A sharp increase in phishing and trojan attacks, particularly targeting the financial sector, highlights the vulnerability of Indian users and businesses. Out of the cyber-attacks in India, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu accounted for 25% each and remaining in other States. In last 11 months, cybercriminals have defrauded people by over 12000 crores of rupees. With a view to damage Indian economy and to create fear psychosis among the passengers and parents, hoax bomb threats are regularly created exploiting cyber space against aviation sector, railway stations and schools which are soft targets.   Geometrical increase in the number of cybercrimes every day and at every place, is not only alarming but also traumatic. There is no exception and it is engulfing almost everybody whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, men and women, elderly as well as youth. The criminals are usually invisible, and if visible their identity is fake. The victims are the gullible unsuspecting persons. They easily fall prey to the tactics including creating fear psychosis or desire to become rich overnight. The victims realise that they have been cheated after substantial period and few of these reach police stations but very little is gained in the process as the transactions are complete and the transferred amount has been withdrawn by the criminals. Many do not report these crimes out of shame or fear or lack of awareness. 

The nature of cybercrime differs from place to place and incident to incident. It may be investment in equity market through fake portals, it could be an attractive job offer in the name of some reputed company, award of unsolicited lottery, it could be matrimonial proposal or it may be so called digital arrest by law enforcing authorities including cyber police, CBI, Income Tax or ED authorities.. Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging search engine optimisation (SEO) to deceive victims. SEO manipulation allows criminals to rank fraudulent websites at the top of search results, making them appear legitimate and credible, duping victims into sharing sensitive personal and financial information. Fraudsters create fake websites that mirror legitimate businesses, online stores or financial platforms. There is a paid process to get your website at the top in search. Such websites look similar to the original. When the victim proceeds further, the money is transferred to third person through the gateway. It is suspected that bank employees could be part of such crimes while sharing victims’ documents with a third party. KYC of the bank account holder should be updated but many banks ignore this, which leads to difficulties in tracking the account information. Loan apps and gaming apps are another medium of losing private information. FedEx scam is currently at its peak.  Cybercrimes may take place through a call from unknown and fake person sometimes giving attractive offer, or it could be threatening recorded message for a crime or accident which has never taken place. It may be in the name of gas connection company asking you to update your personal details and demanding bank account details.  It could be through email asking you to provide your personal bank details or a video call putting you under fake “digital arrest’’ and demanding instant payment of huge amounts.  Till the payment is completed the fraudsters won’t allow even to leave the room. Victims may be recently retired persons interested in investing their retirement benefits at attractive returns, or unemployed youth looking for a job offer in India or abroad. It could be a young woman interested in marriage offer. There are also instances when women may be threatened with blackmailing or publishing their obscene photos. One may say every possible trick to attract you for false promises, luring you to unusual returns because of your greed, or expecting to realise your dream for which you are not eligible, the cybercriminal is likely to entice you. Obviously, persons with substantial funds fall prey to these tricks and unfortunately, they are also those who are savvy with social media, mobile handling, or computer knowledgeable. 

In fraction of the cases, where law enforcing agencies have been able to nab the criminals, even these offenders themselves are not aware where the money has been transferred. As per the recent NIA statement on October 10, 2024, NIA investigations have revealed that five persons were involved in trafficking vulnerable Indian youth to the Golden Triangle Region in Lao PDR where they were forced to commit cyber scams targeting European and American citizens. They operated through the consultancy firm ‘All International Services’ which functioned as a front for human trafficking. It is noticed that the real culprits are either from China or Pakistan and they are causing this cybercrime havoc in India, USA, UK etc.  

The India Cyber Threat Report 2025 by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) and Seqrite, spotlighted the evolving tactics of cybercriminals and the rise of AI driven attacks as a major concern. “Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used to develop highly sophisticated phishing campaign utilising deep-fake technology and personalised attack vectors, making them harder to detect. AI driven malware will adapt in real time to evade traditional security measures, while data poisoning attacks will compromise the integrity of critical AI systems in sectors such as healthcare and autonomous transportation” the report noted. 

Deepfake technology will create compelling malicious content, including fake video or audio messages from trusted sours. This will facilitate more effective social engineering attacks, making it easier for cybercriminals to deceive users into executing malware or revealing sensitive information, it added. 

The integration of AI capabilities with vulnerabilities in supply chains will lead to new types of cyber threats. Cybercriminals will employ AI driven methods to execute intricate attacks, taking advantage of compromised development resources and hardware manufacturing processes to insert malicious code through corrupted libraries and embedded hardware, it said. 

“Critical infrastructure sectors in India, including healthcare, finance, and energy, will remain prime targets for cybercriminals. These attacks will aim to disrupt services, steal sensitive data, and exploit geopolitical tensions, emphasising the need for robust security frameworks and continuous monitoring to protect essential services,” the report, which studied over 18 industry sectors, said. 

Furthermore, the convergence of fake government service applications and fraudulent investment platforms will create hybrid threats in 2025, it said. Cybercriminals will create advanced applications that mimic government benefit systems and investment services, using social engineering, influencer marketing, and sophisticated malware to carry out widespread financial fraud and identity theft, targeting public welfare recipients and retail investors alike. 

Additionally, the rise cryptocurrency mining will invite a surge in cryptojacking attacks, where malware hijacks computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies without user’s knowledge. 

The changing threat landscape of 2025 requires CISOs to fundamentally rethink their cybersecurity strategies, the report said, adding that traditional security models are becoming ineffective against emerging quantum threats and Ai-driven attacks. 

Apart from registering offences under Bhartia Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and I.T Act under various provisions, the RBI and other public as well as private banks, as well as telecom companies are constantly alerting their customers and the public in general against the spam messages from the fraudsters and appealing not to disclose their account details, or not fall prey to any links for undue rewards. They have also publicised their helplines where the victims are asked to report at the earliest. Government of India has issued the helpline no 1930 as well as asking victims to report to https://www.cybercrime.gov.in . It has also issued detailed safety tips on their portal. One such link is https://cybercrime.gov.in/Webform/Crime_OnlineSafetyTips.aspx.     

                   Department of Telecommunication has a portal called CHAKSHU:  https://services.india.gov.in/service/service_url_redirect?id=MjQ0MDY=  For Reporting Suspected Fraud and Unsolicited Commercial Communication received within last thirty days the link is as under https://services.india.gov.in/service/detail/chakshu-report-suspected-fraud-communication 

With a view to strengthen efforts in fighting cybercrime, Government of Maharashtra has recently established Cybercrime Investigation Capacity Centre. It claims to possess best global technologies including Technology Assisted Intelligence (TAI) and machine learning tools to aid investigations into crimes like cryptocurrency fraud and combat cybercrime effectively.  It houses Security Operation Centre (SOC) designed to manage large scale security breaches and respond to threats targeting individuals and businesses. It has launched a new dedicated helpline 14407 in a 24*7 Command Centre. It has Computer emergency Response Team (CERT) to coordinate swift responses to cyber incidents.

India Cybercrime Coordination Centre 

                      Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established by MHA, in New Delhi to provide a framework and eco-system for Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) for dealing with Cybercrime in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.

                 I4C is envisaged to act as the nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country. ( https://i4c.mha.gov.in/ ) It deals with efforts in creating awareness through training law enforcing agencies in the form of Cyber योद्धा and has trained thousands of police officers in cybercrime. It also spreads awareness message through social media in the form of cyber दोस्त. According to the same, safe practices to prevent cybercrime include 

1. Avoid pop ups, unknown mails and links: https://i4c.mha.gov.in/#:~:text=Avoid%20pop%2Dups%2C%20unknown%20emails%20and%20links 
2. Use strong password and authentication: https://i4c.mha.gov.in/#:~:text=Use%20strong%20password%20protection%20and%20authentication
3. Install updates and backups for your data (  https://i4c.mha.gov.in/#:~:text=Install%20updates%20and%20back%20up%20your%20files) 

               The portal mentions cybercrimes categories such as

• cryptocurrency crime, 
• cyber terrorism, 
• hacking /damage of computer systems, 
• online and social media related crime such as:

1. Cheating by Impersonation
2. Cyber Bullying / Stalking / Sexting
3. E-Mail Phishing Fake/Impersonating Profile

1. Impersonating Email

1. Intimidating Email

1. Online Job Fraud

1. Online Matrimonial Fraud

1. Profile Hacking / Identity Theft

1. Provocative Speech for unlawful acts

                 To summarise, updated list of recent cybercrimes is as follows:

1. If you are called about how the TRAI is going to disconnect your phone, do not respond. It is a scam.
   2. If you are called by FedEx about a package and asked to press 1 or whatever, do not respond. It is a scam.
   3. If a police officer calls you and talks to you about your Aadhaar, do not respond. It is a scam.
   4. If they tell you that you are under ‘digital arrest’, do not respond. It is a scam.
   5. It they tell you that drugs have been discovered in some package meant for you or sent by you, do not respond. It is a scam.
   6. If they say you can’t tell anyone, do not listen to them. Inform Cyber Crime Police at 1930.
   7. If they contact you using WhatsApp or SMS, do not respond. It is a scam.
   8. If anyone calls you and tells you they have sent money to your UPI id by mistake and that they just want their money back, do not respond. It is a scam.
   9. If someone says they want to buy your car or your washing machine or your sofa and say they are from the army or CRPF and show you their id card, do not respond. It is a scam.
   10. If someone says they are calling from Swiggy or Zomato and need you to confirm your address by pressing 1 or anything else, do not respond. It is a scam.
   11. If they ask you to share OTP just to cancel the order or ride or whatever, do not respond. It is a scam. In any case, do not share your OTP with anyone over phone.
   12. Never answer any calls on video mode.
   13. If confused simply switch off your phone & block that number.
   14. Never press on any link written in blue.
   15. Even if you get a notice from the highest Police, CBI, ED, IT Department; do verify offline.
   16. Always check if such letters are from Government portals
   17. If somebody calls you stating that a subpoena (American’s call summons of Court as Subpoena) and you have to come and collect it or you have to pay to see it., ask him/her to send it through the process server of the court or by registered post to address on the summons or case file.  If they threaten you, just waste the person’s time. Also ask for the Judge’s name, Court Room No and floor and /or building no- if the person is not able to tell, then it means it is a sure shot scam.
   18. If somebody calls and says that he /she is calling from Police station and you are being summoned, ask him/her to send it to local police station (don’t disclose your location/city) and let the local police station serve it on you.
   19.  Don’t part with ANY Debit/ Credit/ Rupay Card details including card number, CVV, Date of Expiry.
   20.  Get True caller. Don’t pick calls marked Spam or Fraud. Block all calls that fall under this category.
   21.  Disconnect any calls informing that “So and so asked me to send such and such amount to you”. Call the person supposed to be sending you money and confirm. But, don’t click on links or scan QR Code or share OTP.
   22.  Don’t do anything if someone calls informing about an emergency/ illness/ accident of a dear one/ relative/ friend, asking to send/ deposit money. Even if it’s a video call or a voice call. Call the dear one/ relative/ friend/ their family etc, and confirm. If the person is not reachable, then Google the numbers yourself and call the hospital etc and make enquiry. Physically reach that place, if feasible.
   23.  Don’t respond to ANY calls/ messages “advising buying of shares/ stock or cryptocurrency”. Don’t buy such stock because “definite gains” are predicted.
   24.  Don’t respond to calls/ messages promising “home based work”. They snare you, make you send money “for investing” while showing “profits”. There are NEVER any profits. It’s a scam.
   25.  Don’t rush out of the house if you hear the voice of a dear one/ relative/ friend in pain, asking for help. Especially during the night. Try to assess who’s outside. Call the dear one/ relative/ friend’s mobile/ home. Call the police, if necessary.
   26.  Don’t fall for “easy loans” Apps. They gradually snare you in taking multiple loans that you can’t return. Sometimes, they promise huge returns, and give you loans for investing. There are NEVER profits. The money you “invested” is gone. You take the loan to only invest in some scam. Your “investment” will be lost but you will be responsible for paying off the Loan and interest. Then they start tightening the screws.

 Precautions:

                      Let me conclude by urging everyone using cyberspace in the form of computer, mobile or any other electronic device to completely refrain from responding to any SMS, audio and video calls from unknown mobile number from India or abroad, or email, or any embedded links. In case you want to respond, first verify the details of the person, calling you or sending email or the link. Constant awareness alone can protect your life, money, dignity and reputation from the ever-increasing cybercriminals. 

                     I further urge the Government of India to make use of these portals and helplines available for 24*7 and make them user friendly so that everyone is able to follow these. Most of the times, the helpline number is not available.  Government also must ensure security of the personal data which is being shared by online firms, banks, investment centres. Fraudsters are able to access this data easily. In fact, the government must come up with legal enactment to prevent the same and stern action needs to be taken against those who leak this data.  Efforts may also need to be made to study the new technological innovations in other advanced countries which are able to precisely locate and nab the cybercriminals wherever they may be operating from. The coordination efforts with international organisations, central banks and governments of other countries need to be stepped up to save Indians from these borderless cybercriminals. 

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