Supreme Court terms cybercrime as digital dacoity, refuses consolidation of cases

The Supreme Court of India strongly condemned organised cybercrimes involving digital arrests, describing them as 'digital dacoity' committed through video calls. The observations came while the court was hearing a petition filed by two accused individuals, Gourab Kumar Saha and Nidhi Bhandari. The petitioners sought to consolidate multiple criminal cases registered against them across several states, arguing that their company's bank account was allegedly used as a mule account for these financial offences.

During the hearing, a bench comprising the Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana highlighted a specific instance where an 81-year-old retired man from Ernakulam in Kerala was defrauded of Rs 1.90 crore, with the illicit funds allegedly deposited into the petitioners' mule account. The judges stressed that the full extent of the petitioners' involvement and the exact amount extorted remained unclear at this stage of the investigation.

The Supreme Court firmly declined to entertain the plea for consolidating the cases, holding that the convenience of the accused cannot override the rights of victims and investigating agencies. The bench observed that jurisdiction is determined by the place where the victim was targeted rather than where the proceeds were received, noting that victims cannot be forced to travel to Delhi for the sake of the accused. Sensing the court's reluctance, the petitioners sought to withdraw their petition, which the bench permitted.

Not yet reported: The articles do not specify the total amount extorted across all pending cases or the final status of local police investigations against the company or its directors.