Digital detox: Haryana village unplugs to shed cybercrime tag

CHANDIGARH: For years, Nuh’s villages have been synonymous with cyber fraud investigations across the country. Now, one village is attempting a dramatic break from that image. In Sukhpuri, residents publicly smashed 55 smartphones after a panchayat resolved that no villager would use one again, arguing that the devices had become both the tool of cybercrime and a source of social disruption.

The decision was taken at a recent panchayat attended by villagers, community elders and police. Convinced that easy access to smartphones had fuelled both online fraud and social problems,