CHENNAI: The people have demanded that the South Chennai Cyber Crime Branch Police Station, operating inside the airport premises, be moved to either Guindy or St Thomas Mount.
Complainants lamented the inconvenience and additional expenses they face when visiting the station.
The Cyber Crime Branch Police Station, along with the Airport Police Station and the Assistant Commissioner of Police's office, is located on the Chennai airport campus.
While the airport police station handles aviation-related cases, the cyber crime unit receives complainants from across South Chennai, including police station limits such as Adyar, Mylapore, Mandaveli, Ashok Nagar, Vadapalani, Virugambakkam, Velachery, Madipakkam, Alandur, Adambakkam and Meenambakkam.
With cyber fraud cases increasing across Chennai, the police station receives around 4050 complainants every day. Many arrive in cars, often with family members or legal representatives, and make enquiries frequently.
However, since the police station is located inside the airport campus, visitors are required to pay parking charges at the airport toll plaza while exiting. Visitors argue that although collecting parking fees from passengers and visitors is justified, the same should not apply to people visiting a government police station that happens to be inside the airport premises.
Another major concern is the lack of a photocopy facility inside the airport campus.
“During investigations, police often ask us to submit photocopies of documents and identity proofs. Since no photocopy shop is available within the premises, we have to get out of the airport to get the copies before returning to the police station,” lamented a visitor. “This forces us to cross the airport toll plaza twice, and we have to pay parking charges again.”
People handling cyber crime cases have urged the airport authorities to exempt vehicles visiting the Cyber Crime police station from airport parking charges or create a separate access route for the station. They have also requested that a photocopy facility be established within the airport campus to avoid unnecessary travel during investigations.
For investigations, police often ask us to submit photocopies of documents and identity proofs. Since no photocopy shop is available within the premises, we have to get out of the airport to get the copies before returning to the police station. This forces us to cross the airport toll plaza twice, and we have to pay parking charges againA visitor to the Cyber Crime police station, Chennai Airport
Residents and legal representatives have further pointed out that the Cyber Crime Branch police station functioned from the Guindy Police Station campus until about a year ago, where such issues did not exist. “Earlier location was centrally accessible for anyone from across South Chennai and did not involve airport toll charges or the absence of document services,” another visitor pointed out.
They have now appealed to the Chennai City Police to shift the police station back to the Guindy campus, or relocate it to the South Chennai Joint Commissioner's Office at St Thomas Mount, which would improve public access and reduce the burden on complainants.