Dated Aizawl, March 20, 2026: A one-day training session on "Cyber Crime" was organized this morning at the Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench Conference Hall. The program was jointly organized by the Mizoram State Legal Services Authority (MSLSA) and the Mizoram Police.
The inaugural session was attended by Hon'ble Mr. Justice Michael Zothankhuma, Judge, Gauhati High Court & Judge-in-Charge, Administration Department (JAD), GHC, and the Executive Chairman of the Assam State Legal Services Authority; Hon'ble Mr. Justice Nelson Sailo, Judge, Gauhati High Court and Executive Chairman of MSLSA; Hon'ble Mr. Justice Sanjeev Kumar Sharma, Judge, Gauhati High Court; Mr. Sharad Agarwal, Director General of Police (DGP), Government of Mizoram; and Mrs. Helen Dawngliani, District & Sessions Judge and Chairman of DLSA, Aizawl Judicial District.
In his address, Justice Michael Zothankhuma shared that he himself had experienced cyber crime and expressed appreciation for organizing such a valuable training session. He stated that in today's rapidly evolving and interconnected technological world, cyber crime has become an emerging threat worldwide, as it is a crime without borders. Therefore, laws often take time to adapt, which creates gaps between emerging crimes and the legal framework that is meant to prevent and punish them. To bridge this gap and effectively combat cyber crime, cooperation among law enforcement agencies, the police, and the judiciary is essential. He also emphasized that Public Awareness is the first line of defense against cyber crime. He wished the participants to have a fruitful training and to be someone who contributes to educating the society further.
Justice Nelson Sailo mentioned that in 2017, the Supreme Court recognized the "Right to Privacy" as a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. Following this, Parliament passed the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act) in 2023 to safeguard citizens' data rights. He highlighted that cyber crime is rapidly increasing in India, with over 86,000 cases registered in 2023. In Mizoram, 361 cyber crime cases were recorded between 2022 and 2026, with 5 cases already registered up to March this year. The most common cases include financial fraud, social media impersonation, and sexual harassment. He advised the public to use antivirus software, avoid opening or downloading unknown files, and report incidents promptly to the police.
DGP Sharad Agarwal also addressed the gathering, stating that the rapid rise in cyber crime has posed significant challenges to law enforcement agencies. He noted that modern technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly being used in phishing and creating deepfake images and videos, as well as for stealing passwords and spreading malware. To combat cyber crime, Mizoram Police has established a Technical Support Cell and is using digital forensic tools to analyze data securely.
Mrs. Helen Dawngliani, in her speech, outlined various types of cyber crime. She said that while technological advancements have made life easier, they have also increased opportunities for crime. She emphasized that in order to preserve Rule of Law in the digital sphere, there is a need for stronger collaboration between the police and the judiciary.
Following the inaugural session, technical sessions were conducted. Dr. Harold D’Costa, President of Cyber Security Corporation and International Trainer in Digital Forensics and Cyber Law, led the training. SP (Cyber Crime) Mr. Zonunsanga and Mrs. JH Lalparmawii, JMFC-cum-Civil Judge (Jr. Division), District Court Aizawl, also gave presentations on topics related to cyber crime. Mrs. Meghna Yadav, IGP (Training) delivered the concluding remarks. The training was attended by officials from various departments including Home, Excise & Narcotics, Finance, and others.