UP Govt Cracks Down on Cyber Offences: ₹1 Cr Fine, 7 Years Jail for Social Media Miscreants

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Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh - In a bid to curb cyber crimes, the Uttar Pradesh government has strengthened its cyber policing mechanism, making it mandatory for social media users to adhere to strict laws. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna informed the state Assembly that circulating obscene or offensive content on social media can attract penalties of up to ₹1 crore and imprisonment of up to seven years. According to Khanna, the government has put in place a robust mechanism to deal with cyber offences, which includes the immediate removal of objectionable content from social media platforms. "Action is taken strictly in accordance with the nature of the complaint received," the minister assured. The government has also trained 84,705 personnel and organised over 65,000 awareness camps across the state to educate people about cyber laws and safeguards. However, some lawmakers have raised concerns about selective action in cases related to social media posts. Samajwadi Party MLA Hriday Narayan Singh Patel alleged that influential accounts often escape strict action, while Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana urged the government to consider a strong policy framework to award exemplary punishment in proven cases. Khanna clarified that the law allows for imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of up to ₹5 lakh for circulating obscene material, apart from harsher penalties in other cybercrime cases. The government has also made it mandatory for district superintendents of police and station house officers to report cyber offences to the cyber wing, which includes the DIG, to ensure swift action against the perpetrators.