This is a 4-part series focusing on how Indian law enforcement deploys technology, international mechanisms and conventional investigation methods to trace cases of child sexual abuse and prevent crimes. This also explains how modern technology and artificial intelligence, aided by global tech giants are integrated with a complex system to rescue child victims and nab abusers all over the country.
POCSO already recognises computer-generated and fabricated depictions, while Section 67B and the 2026 IT Rules add further legal and platform duties, though fully synthetic cases still raise unresolved questions for Indian courts and law enforcement.
Operation Megh Chakra showed how foreign intelligence can trigger searches across India, while Thanjavur, Hisar and Aizawl demonstrate how ICSE data, CyberTipline reports and cyberforensics can converge during investigations involving online child sexual abuse material.
More than 69 lakh CyberTips had been shared with States and Union Territories by March 2025, yet no consolidated national data shows how many became FIRs, convictions or led investigators to identify and rescue children.
A single explicit file can generate thousands of detections as it circulates online, while platform flags remain only a starting point and cannot by themselves identify victims, offenders or establish criminal responsibility in India independently.
Selected issues, clear explanations and thoughtful perspectives—delivered when we publish.
