Thiruvananthapuram, Monday 06 July 2009: Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told the state assembly today that a comprehensive law is being prepared to tackle the increasing number of cyber crimes being reported in the state.

‘We are working with the legal department to see that a comprehensive law is worked out. The current IT Act does not have adequate teeth because it was formed a few years back, and since then the world of technology has changed dramatically. So that has to be amended,’ Kodiyeri said.

Replying to a calling attention motion moved by Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, the Kerala Home Minister said a full-fledged cyber police station has already started functioning here as the first step to tackle the menace.

Moving the motion, Radhakrishnan stressed that the use of mobile phones in educational institutions should be banned, as it would go a long way in checking cyber crime.

The use of mobile phones at important places such as hospitals, places of worship, railway stations and airports, educational institutions had to be regulated, he said.

Similarly, a register at Internet cafes giving particulars of those using the facility would be made compulsory.

The majority of victims of Internet and mobile phone misuse were women and school children, he said.

On steps already taken by government to check cyber crime in the state, the Home Minister said a Cyber police station had started functioning at Thiruvanathapuram.

Cyber police stations with modern equipment and trained officers were necessary to conduct investigations into such cases, he said.

The state police had some top officials who were trained to probe cyber cases. Kerala was the first state in the country where two persons were convicted in a cyber case, he said.