The Digital Investigation Training and Analysis Centre (DITAC), a covert division of the Haryana Police, played a key role in curtailing the virtual presence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
The police told that more than two dozen accounts, including verified Facebook page and another Twitter handle with blue tick confirming the ‘person of eminence’ tag of the jailed leader, were closed down due to the intervention of the DITAC team.
After the sentence of the dera chief on August 25, the DITAC investigators contacted the Facebook and Twitter authorities to shut down the social media presence of the convict, said a senior police functionary.
However, a source familiar with its functioning said contacting Facebook and Twitter for blocking accounts was a time-consuming job as the nodal officers of these two companies were located in Ireland and the USA, respectively and they were available only through e-mails.
DITAC is considered to be the only digital investigation facility manned by any state police in the country.
Based in Gurugram, it is a unit of the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Police sources said DITAC was officially launched by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in December last year, but its functioning was kept confidential.
According to a police official, a division of DITAC is dedicated to making a close watch on the inflammatory and seditious content on the social media platforms.
“After the conviction of Ram Rahim, DITAC was keeping a constant eye on the development on the social media platforms. Verified accounts of the dera chief and his other proxy accounts had a virtual following in millions and any provocative message passed on instantly could lead to a massive law and order situation. But it was contained well in time with first snapping mobile data services followed by closing down social media accounts with potential threat,” said a police official.
A state intelligence official said DITAC was keeping an eye on the social media. One should immediately contact the office of the DGP, IGP (CID) or the local SP if one found any objectionable content on the social media, said the official.
Ram Rahim not to be shifted, says Rohtak DC
There is no move to shift Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh from the Sunaria prison in Rohtak to some other jail. Extra-tight security arrangements made in view of the Ram Rahim’s presence in the jail will continue as long as required.
Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar stated this while interacting with mediapersons here today. He said though there was no threat perception as of now, the prison’s security would not be relaxed and Section 144 of the CrPC would continue till further orders.
