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Synopsis

During the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) addressing the surge in cyber crimes, the Delhi High Court today underscored the need for a reformed policing system to tackle new challenges.

The court advocated for the adoption of a simple complaint filing system by authorities to address cyber crimes effectively.

The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora heard a plea addressing the rising incidents of cyber crimes, including the forging of court orders, fake FIRs, and arrest warrants.

The court observed that scamsters do not discriminate among their targets and they do not care whether it is a lawyer, judge, businessman or any other person; they just make indiscriminate calls and commit fraud with people.

The PIL plea filed by Advocates Akshya and Urvashi Bhatia stated that both the Central and State Cyber Cell websites are inactive, failing to disseminate information to raise awareness about the latest cyber crimes in the country.

The petitioners appearing in person also argued that the Union Government's cyber dost portal, designed to provide information, has not been updated since September 2022, containing only a limited number of articles insufficient to keep citizens informed about the latest modus operandi of fraudsters and cyber criminals.

They emphasized the need for authorities to conduct awareness campaigns on cybercrime issues and simplify the procedure for reporting cybercrime complaints.

While acknowledging the importance of the issue, the court expressed that the prayers outlined in the petition differed from the oral submissions. Terming them "unworkable prayers," the court directed the petitioners' counsel to amend the petition, incorporating the changes before the next date of hearing, i.e., January 30.

The bench also instructed the counsel representing Delhi Police to seek instructions regarding the establishment of a straightforward digital facility for people to file cyber crime complaints via email. The court also highlighted the urgency of blocking transactions involved in cyber crimes promptly.

The court stated, "Suppose someone transmitted money. Money has to be blocked immediately. It cannot be done till you have a digital system in place. Otherwise, money will cross the boundaries of this country. You won't be able to reach it."

Addressing the prevalence of cyber crimes affecting celebrities, the court urged the creation of dedicated units to handle such issues, emphasizing the necessity for the policing system to adapt to evolving challenges, with law enforcement officials being well-versed in new technologies.

Furthermore, the court directed the counsel for the Central Government to seek instructions on implementing a unified system for verifying the authenticity of orders issued by authorities.

Case Title: Akshya & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.