The Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department (APCID) Additional Director General S. Sanjay warned that the department will attach the properties of social media offenders in the State, if they are found to have committed crimes by resorting to abusive, provocative and unacceptable language.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat at Velagapudi on Wednesday along with Cybercrime SP Harsha Vardhan, Mr. Sanjay said that they have been monitoring social media accounts which have been targeting the judiciary, government, political parties and women in the State.
Mr. Sanjay explained that the CID had removed more than 1,450 abusive postings in 2022 and the number increased to 2,164 this year (2023). A total of 1,465 social media accounts are being monitored this year, he added. In the recent past, social media trolls posting abusive content against the judiciary were identified and action initiated against these accounts, he added.
The CID ADG added that some of the social media accounts abused Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his family members, on which the department has taken action. He said that some of the prominent political leaders including both ruling party and opposition parties have been at the receiving end due to such trolls.
He said that the CID has opened 2,972 ‘Cyberbully Sheets’ in the State and investigation is in progress. At the same time, the CID has filed cases against 45 NRIs and issued five Look-Out Circulars.
Mr. Sanjay said that the CID has formed special teams and constituted a dedicated cyber cell to monitor the social media accounts in the State. He observed that as this is an election year, there is a possibility for a steep rise in hate postings in the near future and all such accounts will be monitored effectively to ensure law and order.
The CID has been adopting the latest technologies to investigate social media crimes, he informed.
