New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday launched 'Operation Meghchakra', in 20 states and UTs, across the country, in an action against the circulation and sharing of child sexual abuse material online.
Under the operation, the searches are underway at 56 locations in 20 states and union territories, news agency ANI reported a senior CBI official as informing.
The states where the raids are underway include Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Telengana, and Tamil Nadu.
Searches are underway in Union Territories in connection with two cases pertaining to online Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM).
The raids are being carried out on the basis of the inputs shared by the Interpol unit of New Zealand through Singapore, ANI reported. It further mentioned that the exercise is code-named "Op Meghachakra" as the CSEM was downloaded and circulated through 'Cloud Space'.
The CBI operation is related to two cases that the central agency has registered in the matter which includes the case registered by the CBI last year.
In 2021, the CBI had carried out a similar crackdown code-named "Operation Carbon" in November wherein raids were conducted at 76 locations across the country against 83 persons and several persons were arrested.
CBI is also the nodal agency for Interpol. It is the first probe agency to set up a cyber crime unit, related to the investigations of cyber crimes in the country.
Meanwhile, more details about 'Operation Meghchakra' are awaited.
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