Leh, Aug 27: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the establishment of a dedicated Cyber Police Station in Ladakh to tackle the growing threat of cybercrime, including financial fraud, online scams, digital arrests and identity theft.
The notification for setting up the cyber police station has come into immediate effect, with the unit authorised to operate across the entire Union Territory.
The station will serve as Ladakh's centralised cybercrime investigation unit and handle the registration and investigation of cybercrime cases under the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and other applicable laws.
The move follows directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs to States and Union Territories to strengthen State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres as nodal mechanisms for preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting cyber offences.
The dedicated unit will facilitate e-Zero FIRs, coordination with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and the 1930 helpline, preservation of digital evidence and timely action to freeze fraudulent financial transactions.
It will also coordinate with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), banks, financial institutions, telecom service providers, technology platforms and other agencies to strengthen the response to cybercrime.
“As Ladakh rapidly adopts digital banking, UPI, e-commerce and e-Governance services, we must ensure that our citizens are equally protected from the emerging threats in the digital space,” Saxena said, adding that the initiative would help build a secure and trusted digital environment.
Official data shows that 1,077 cybercrime complaints involving around Rs 10 crore were reported in Ladakh between 2021 and 2026. Complaints increased sharply from 43 in 2022 to 366 in 2025, underscoring the need for a dedicated institutional mechanism.
The Cyber Police Station will function under the administrative and operational control of the Chief Executive Officer of the UT Ladakh Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (L4C). Necessary arrangements will initially be made from existing Ladakh Police resources.
