CHANDIGARH:The District Magistrate, Chandigarh Administration has prohibited the use of Cyber Cafes by unknown person whose identification would not be established by the owner of the café.

The Cyber Café's owners have been asked to maintain a register for identity of the visitor/user by making the entry of visitor's name, address, telephone number and identity proof. The visitor/user would make entry in his/her handwriting along with address, telephone number and identity proof and would sign the register kept for this purpose.

The identity of the visitor would be established through identity card, voter card, ration card, driving licence, passport and photo credit card. Activity server log would be preserved in main server and its record for at least six months. The owner of the Cyber Café has been asked to inform the police station, if any suspicious activity of the visitor is noted and the Cyber Cafes would also maintain record about the specific computer used by the person. This order has been issued under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code and would be valid up to March 8, 2008.

The orders have been made because it was noticed that certain anti-social elements, criminals and terrorists might use the facility of cyber cafes to mislead the security/investigating agencies, create panic in the public and danger the security of public, VIPs, and government institutions. The Cyber café might be used by anti national for their terrorist activities affecting the security of the state.