Internet cafes on police radar

ALLAHABAD: The district police is planning to carry out an intensive checking of internet parlours as part of ensuring foolproof security arrangements ahead of the month-long Magh Mela.
SP city Awadhesh Kumar Vijeta informed that though checking of internet cafes is a routine affair and action is initiated against erring owners for not following rules laid down by the police, the vigil is beefed up during festive or special occasions when the threat perception is higher.
Special vigil is maintained around 29 internet parlours identified in the city and help from experts is sought as and when required as there are not many cyber experts within the police team, he added.
The police would inspect the state of preparedness of internet cafes and whether or not they were following the guidelines given to them earlier regarding keeping records of visiting customers and their identity proof.
Pointedly, internet cafes have emerged as the latest message transferring place prior to terror strikes in the recent past. Sleuths in the intelligence department have been galvanised into action and all efforts are made to gather information from even the remotest parts of districts under the range.
Special Operation Group incharge Dhananjay Mishra said that with electronic surveillance getting hi-tech, terrorist outfits use internet for passing messages. In fact, now terrorists do not even send mails to their counterparts for the fear of getting tracked by the internet protocol number.
Instead, the coded message is simply saved in the draft folder of the user which is opened at the other end by the counterpart who is already in possession of the user name and password. He opens the coded message and goes through the contents after deciphering them, Mishra informed.
Since internet cafes are mushrooming at every nook and corner, it becomes all the more pertinent to keep a check on their activities, said Mishra. "This does not mean that cafe owners are being targeted or accused in any manner, but certainly when it comes to national security, cooperation with the security agencies can at least be expected of them,'' he added.
Allahabad district police had identified 29 cyber cafes in the city which had been placed under scanner. Though the basis of selecting these 29 cafes has not been divulged, it is believed that cafes in remote or sensitive areas have been selected in the initial phase.
In addition, the police have advised cafe owners to install close circuit television cameras (CCTVs) in their parlours. This would facilitate the owner as well as security agencies in following up on the visitors in case of an eventuality.
Besides, the police have urged all cafe owners to immediately inform the local police if they spot any suspicious element in cafe. The police have also advised against providing cabin facility to customers and in case they provide any such facility, proper care should be taken to register the name, address and credentials of the individual. Also, a strict note of the timings of individuals entering and leaving the cafe is to be maintained which would be periodically checked by the local police.