India one of prime targets for cybercriminals: HC

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sounded alarm bells over the rising cybercrime threat in India, asserting the country has become one of the prime targets for cybercriminals globally. The court made it clear that individuals accused in such matters did not deserve sympathy following the elusive nature of cybercrime, where offenses could be perpetrated remotely or even from isolated rooms.

Justice Gurbir Singh, in a bail denial order, noted, “Organised crime groups are using the internet for major fraud and theft activities” and warned of trends indicating organised crime’s increasing involvement in white-collar cyber offenses.

Further, the court observed, “Criminals are moving away from traditional methods; internet-based crime is becoming more prevalent. India has become one of the prime targets of cyber criminals.”

Referring to the community-wide impact of cybercrimes, Justice Gurbir described these as calculated offenses aimed at exploiting public trust for personal gain. Pointing at its widespread nature, the Bench added, “There cannot be any check since crime through internet can be committed while sitting alone in the room or even at a remote place.”

The assertions came in a case where the complainant alleged that he had been deceived by an individual impersonating his niece, who appeared to be in distress. According to the FIR, the complainant received a missed call from a mobile number displaying his niece’s photograph. This was followed by chat messages from the same number, in which the impersonator claimed to be involved in a relationship and under threat of blackmail, with the release of sensitive photos unless a large sum was paid. Believing his niece was in danger, the complainant was convinced to transfer Rs 24,05,000 across multiple accounts.

“In fact, her niece never sent any chat or demanded any money from the complainant. Rather, the complainant became a victim of cybercrime. A bare perusal of interstate analysis report, filed in the court, shows the statistics of All-India Cyber Crime Links, which reveal that there were inter-state linkages of 2,283 cases including 114 FIRs of different States and UTs linked to the sim cards/mobile phones recovered in this case,” Justice Gurbir asserted.

Rejecting the plea, the Bench added granting bail at the current stage was a threat to society and not to any individual. “The petitioner is indulged in money-making by making fool of general public and adopting short-cut methods, thereby stealing their hard earned money through various cyber-tricks. So, he cannot be considered to be entitled to any sympathy. No doubt, other co-accused have been granted bail by the magistrate. It is no ground to grant bail to petitioner.”