The Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket has directed the Punjab authorities to submit a report on cybercrime-related complaints, questioning the motion taken to this point and the standing of instances the place no FIR was registered.
The case was introduced by Dr. Karamjit Singh, a retired Punjab well being division officer, who alleged that he was defrauded by scammers working by a Telegram group named Secret Escapes. The petition states that fraudsters lured him into making giant investments by promising excessive returns. Regardless of submitting a number of complaints with the cyber police and offering proof comparable to financial institution transaction particulars and details about the accused, no FIR was registered, and no investigation was initiated.
The petition additional acknowledged that, below the brand new legislation, complaints will be filed from anyplace, even by way of WhatsApp, below the zero FIR provision. If an investigation doesn’t begin or a report isn’t submitted inside 14 days, motion must be taken in opposition to police officers. Nevertheless, no FIR has been lodged, and the fraudsters stay at giant.
Throughout a listening to, Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu instructed the state counsel to go to the workplace of the Further Director Normal of Police (ADGP), Cyber Crime, Punjab, on February 17, 2025, to gather and current particulars in courtroom concerning the dealing with of complaints. The courtroom additionally ordered the ADGP to assign a accountable officer to trace down the accused named in FIR No. 0012, registered on February 3, 2025, below Sections 61(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, at Cyber Crime Police Station, Patiala.
Inspector Tarandeep Kaur from Cyber Crime, Patiala, together with investigating officers Gurdeep Singh and Navneet Singh, appeared earlier than the courtroom. The state counsel, Kunwarbir Singh, assisted by Tarandeep Kaur, sought further time to file an in depth response. A preliminary reply was submitted by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Aaswant Singh Dhaliwal, representing the Financial Offences and Cyber Crime Unit, Patiala.
In a earlier listening to, the courtroom had requested the Punjab authorities to offer information on cybercrime complaints acquired between January 1, 2023, and December 31, 2024, together with particulars of pending FIRs. The subsequent listening to is scheduled for February 20.
