Karnataka HC asks State to set up cybercrime bureau to fight new age crimes

The Karnataka High Court has directed the State to establish a Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau to combat the alarming rise in sophisticated digital crimes.

 

It also ordered the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate a major cyber espionage case involving theft of sensitive drone technology, recognising it as a national security threat.

 

Justice Nagaprasanna said the State must recognise the existential threat and evolve, failing which, justice to victims of digital crimes will become a mirage.

 

"It is again in public domain that the State of Karnataka, recognising the huge problem of cyber crime, has in fact come up with a novel idea of a cyber command centre, to be headed by an officer of the rank of the Director General of Police," the court said.

 

 

If a cyber command centre is established to combat cyber crimes and strengthen cyber security, the court said it would usher in a new beginning of tackling new age crime with new age investigating centres.

 

"This is the paradigm shift that is imperative. Such cyber command centres should be made meaningfully functional by appropriate officers manning such cyber command centres," the order said.

 

The court said that the State shall endeavour to give life to the cyber command centres or constitute a separate wing to tackle cyber crime like the CCB (Cyber Crime Bureau), which could be a cyber crime investigation bureau. "The aforesaid direction has become imperative for the reasons indicated hereinabove," the order said.

 

The court reiterated that its direction should not remain only on paper or become a paper direction. "Thus, the State shall place before this Court the report of investigation of the Special Investigation Team, on its completion," it said while also telling the SIT to place on record the developments regarding the compliance of its directions.

 

The court also observed that it is in public domain that the rate of filing of charge sheet in new age crimes is only at 9 per cent, not because the accused are not guilty, but because the investigating officers are not equipped to bring those accused to book. "This is due to lack of expertise in dealing with cyber crimes," it said.

 

Commenting on the order, Advocate Angad Kamath, appearing for the petitioners in the case, said, "This judgment has reassured new age startups and businesses that the money they have spent on research and development, technology, and data tech will be secured and those who steal their technology, data, intellectual property by insider theft will be dealt with a firm hand," he said.

 

The directions were issued on a plea by Newspace Research and Technologies, a company that manufactures drones. The plea alleged that some of its former employees stole sensitive data to give it to another firm to land government contracts.