Cyber offences can invite ₹1 cr fine, 7 years' jail: UP govt tells Assembly

Uttar Pradesh Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna on Tuesday told the state Assembly that cyber offences, including the circulation of obscene and offensive content on social media, can attract penalties of up to Rs one crore and imprisonment up to seven years, asserting that the government has put in place a robust mechanism to deal with such cases.

Replying to a query during the Question Hour, Khanna said immediate action is taken whenever objectionable, defamatory or criminal content is circulated on social media.

He said such cases are reported by district superintendents of police and station house officers to the cyber wing, including the DIG (cyber), through which the objectionable content can be swiftly taken down, even when the servers are located abroad.

He said that in matters related to national security, the special secretary (home) has been authorised to take cognisance and initiate appropriate action.

"Action is taken strictly in accordance with the nature of the complaint received," the minister said.

Raising the issue, Samajwadi Party MLA Hriday Narayan Singh Patel alleged selective action in cases related to social media posts and said influential accounts and so-called influencers spreading obscenity and abusive content often escape strict action.

He cited instances from his constituency Sagdhi in Azamgarh to question whether enforcement agencies examine the political affiliation of content creators before acting.

Khanna said the government has strengthened cyber policing across the state, asserting that earlier only two police stations handled cybercrime cases, while now cyber facilities are available in every district and police station.

He said 84,705 personnel have been trained so far, and more than 65,000 awareness camps have been organised at the police station level across Uttar Pradesh to educate teachers, traders, students and the general public about cyber laws and safeguards.

He added that the government is not only focusing on enforcement but also on prevention and awareness, as the misuse of social media through abusive language, misinformation and personal vendetta is a serious concern.

Intervening in the discussion, Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana said the issue is of great importance, particularly for those in public and political life, who are often affected by misinformation and abusive online comments.

Mahana urged the government to consider a strong policy framework so that exemplary punishment is awarded in proven cases.

"Until strict punishment is given to a few people, the message will not go out," Mahana said, adding that while everyone has the right to express views, the spread of false information, obscene language and objectionable content on social media is unfortunate and needs to be curbed effectively.

Providing further details, Khanna said the law allows for imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for circulating obscene material, apart from harsher penalties in other cybercrime cases. He said data on convictions would be made available.