Among the many proposals from various investigating arms of the police for cyber crime cells pending with the state Home department, the first to get official sanction is the Ahmedabad Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), investigating the July 26 blasts.

After getting the government nod, the DCB has recruited 18 personnel for the cell. Sources in the DCB said that Assistant Commissioner of Police Usha Rana will head the cell. It will consist of one inspector, two sub inspectors, two assistant sub inspectors and 13 lokrakshaks (contractual Gujarat police personnel).

State Home Secretary and Inspector General of Police, T S Bisht told Newsline, "Training for its personnel in this cell has begun and it will be functional soon."

ACP Rana, who will work under the supervision of Joint Commissioner of Police Ashish Bhatia, said: "Our training has already begun and we are being taught about the Internet Protocol Addresses (IP addresses) and Wi-Fi internet network hacking."

The DCB has already been allotted office premises for the cell and the process of acquiring sophisticated equipment is underway, said sources. They added that the process to rope in the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) into the state police' ambitioXus project is also on.