Maharashtra Cyber has arrested a 49-year-old Malad resident after allegedly recovering more than 20,000 photographs and videos containing child sexual abuse material from his mobile phone, the department said on November 8. The case has been registered at Maharashtra Cyber’s nodal cyber police station.The arrested man has been identified as Saifuddin Zamiruddin Malik, a resident of Malad West in Mumbai. According to Maharashtra Cyber, the arrest followed an investigation based on digital intelligence gathered during surveillance of online platforms.The operation involved three specialised units of Maharashtra Cyber: the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children unit, the Online Child Welfare and Cybercrime unit, and the TRACE unit. Police said their monitoring systems detected activity linked to the alleged downloading and storage of child sexual abuse material.Investigators used technical analysis and cyber-intelligence tools to identify the suspected user and establish his location, the department said. Following the investigation, First Information Report number 88/2026 was registered under Section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 15 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, and Section 67(B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.The material was allegedly recovered from Malik’s mobile phone. Maharashtra Cyber is conducting a forensic examination to determine where the files came from, how they were downloaded and whether they were shared or circulated through an online platform. The department has not stated that the forensic investigation is complete.The case highlights the role of specialised cyber units in identifying and tracing the digital storage of child sexual abuse material. The investigation will now focus on the origin and movement of the files, as well as whether any wider network or online distribution was involved, according to the information released by Maharashtra Cyber.Maharashtra Cyber reiterated that downloading, possessing, storing, sharing or circulating child sexual abuse material is a serious offence. It urged members of the public to report suspected activity through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or by calling the cybercrime helpline at 1930.The department said it has so far acted on 5.67 lakh cyber tipline reports and 31,000 online child abuse-related complaints. Further action in the Malad case will depend on the ongoing forensic examination and investigation.
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