India moves to crack down on Internet crime

Indian police said on Thursday they will take the lead in controlling computer crimes and regulating Internet companies to check gambling and pornography. The Central Bureau of Investigation will initiate measures to design new high-tech legislation, they said at the end of a two-day seminar on computer crimes. CBI officials brainstormed with experts from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and officials from banks and law enforcement agencies at the seminar. They told a news conference that the Information Technology Bill, which is planned to be introduced in the current session of parliament, would contain provisions to help check computer crime in addition to measures to legalize electronic transactions. India has been slow to wake up to computerization, and large parts of the government, the banking and insurance sectors and law enforcement authorities still use paper files extensively. As a result, the police have little information on computer crimes, and even less on how they could be combated.