 bill no 3 of  2016 the information technology (amendment) bill, 2016 by dr kirit somaiya, mp a billfurther to amend the information technology act, 2000be it enacted by parliament in the sixty-seventh year of the republic of india as follows:—1 (1) this act may be called the information technology (amendment) act, 2016short title, and commencement5(2) it shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notificationin the official gazette, appoint21 of 20002 for section 78 of the information technology act, 2000, the following section shallbe substituted, namely:—substitution of new sectionfor section 78 power toi n v e s t i g a t e offences"78 notwithstanding anything contained in the code of criminal procedure,1973 (2 of 1974), the in-charge of a police post including village police post shall investigate any offence under this act" statement  of  objects  and  reasonsthe cyber network in the country has increased manifold during the last few yearsmost of the areas of the country including remote villages are connected with internet and the people all over the country, not only of metro cities and big cities, but also of rural areas, now have access to internet for exchanging information, ideas and their opinion through various social media alongwith, the misuse of various social media and perpetuating web based crime is increasing day by daysection 78 of the information technology act, 2000 empowers a police officer, not below the rank of inspector, to investigate offences of any type of cyber crime/cyber fraud, financial or otherwise, under the actthough a lot of measures have been taken on cyber security and checking the cyber fraud, but due to lacunae in section 78, in interior rural areas local police cannot investigate in the matter for want of officer of the rank it is a known fact that india is a vast country and in every nook and corner, especially in interior villages, there is no full-fledged police station which are headed by an inspector as an officer below the rank of inspector of police is not empowered under section 78 of the information of technology act, 2000 to investigate cyber fraud, local village police posts which are headed by an officer below the rank of inspector could not take any action under their jurisdiction as a result, a large number of cyber crime cases remain pending for long timegiven that section 78 of the information technology act, 2000 cannot be fully implemented effectively in the rural/interior parts of the country, the present law needs to be amended in order to broaden the scope, of this sectionthus, there is an urgent need to amend section 78 of the information technology act,2000 to empower the in-charge of a local police post to investigate the cyber crime under his jurisdictionthe bill, therefore, seeks to substitute section 78 of the information technology act,2000 with a view to empower an officer in-charge of a police post including in-charge of a village police post, not necessarily of the rank of inspector of police, to investigate cyber crimeshence this billnew delhi;kirit  somaiyadecember 10, 2015 annexure extract from the information technology act, 2000 (21 of 2000)   power to investigate offences78 notwithstanding anything contained in the code of criminal procedure, 1973 (2 of1974), a police officer not below the rank of [inspector] shall investigate any offence under this act   ———— a billfurther to amend the information technology act, 2000————(dr kirit somaiya, mp)gmgipmrnd—4121ls(s3)—09022016