Cyber crime: CBI likely to set up special branch in Mumbai

In view of increasing cyber crime cases, CBI is mulling setting up a special branch in Mumbai to probe such offences, its director Anil Sinha said on Tuesday.

Sinha was in the city to inaugurate the newly constructed 13-storey office of CBI in suburban Bandra-Kurla Complex. All its branches like anti-corruption bureau, economic offences wing and special crime branch will now operate from the new office. "Over the last two years, the cyber world has witnessed a surge in activities. I am contemplating, provided we get cooperation from the state government, setting up a branch to probe cyber crime offences," Sinha said.

"As of now, such a branch is only in the headquarters (Delhi), but now I think it's time a similar branch is opened here in Mumbai, too. Cyber crime is increasing and a separate team of officers including experts are required," the director said.

He said CBI in Mumbai has unearthed several scams like the Harshad Mehta scam, Telgi fake stamp paper scam, Adarsh Housing society scam and so on. "Apart from such scams, CBI is also probing sensational murder cases of Sheena Bora and Narendra Dabholkar among others," Sinha said.

"Recently, state governments and high courts have also been handing over several cases to CBI. Though CBI started as an anti-corruption bureau, its scope has increased to economic offences, serious frauds and sensational cases under IPC. It is now a federal investigating agency which can probe any kind of case," he said.

"The corrupt are resorting to devious and ingenious means to outwit investigating agencies. We must, therefore, update our knowledge and reinvent our practices and methods to detect and bring these new methods of corruption within the ambit of substantive evidence," he said.

Sinha said there is also a need to expand the definition of corruption as offenders are adopting new ways of indulging in graft. "We must now think beyond traps. Nobody these days accepts money in their hands directly. Hence, we must think of expanding the definition of corruption," he said.