The CBI launched the Operation Megh Chakra to combat the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Materials online.

Key facts

• The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched Operation Megh Chakra on September 24, 2022 to conduct searches at 56 locations across India as part of a nationwide drive against the circulation and sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
• This operation was launched after the CBI received intelligence from Interpol’s Singapore special unit based on the information received from authorities in New Zealand.
• The CBI has filed two cases accusing that large number of Indian nationals of being involved in online circulation, downloading and transmission of CSAM using cloud-based storage.
• The searches were conducted in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and others.