CBI proposes its cyber lab in Bangalore

BANGALORE: The state, which was the first in the nation to set up a cyber crime police station, might have another premier investigation agency under its belt, to crack cyber crimes. This time it’s the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which wants its South India Cyber Forensic Lab to be stationed in the silicon city.As of now, the CBI is dependent on the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Delhi and a state lab in Hyderabad for the investigation of cyber crimes. As the number of cyber crimes has shot up, the bureau has planned to set up a few cyber labs across the nation.Reportedly, top brass of the CBI want to establish the cyber forensic laboratory for south India in the premises of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Palace Road in the city. They have also sent a proposal to the state government, seeking their approval for the project. However, the government is yet to take a decision over the matter.A senior police official said if the Lab was established in the city, all cyber crime cases reported in the southern states and investigated by the CBI would be referred to the Lab. “The CBI will also depute experts to investigate the cases. If the lab is established in the CID premises, then the sleuths of the cyber crime police station may also co-ordinate and interact with experts on a daily basis,” the officer said.When Express contacted the Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Rupak Kumar Datta, he said that the CBI had sent a proposal for the cyber lab recently. “We are willing to support them. However, the government has not yet taken a final decision,” Kumar said.