Supreme Court brands cyber fraud as ‘digital dacoity’ and blocks case consolidation

What Happened

Supreme Court on Oct 28, 2026 branded cyber‑crime as “digital dacoity” and denied a petition to merge over 30 pending criminal complaints from 12 states. The bench – Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana – said there is no place in the judicial system for those who run such digital arrests.

Reaction

The court rejected the plea of Gourab Kumar Saha and Nidhi Bhandari, who had asked to consolidate the cases to a single forum, noting that the accused had allegedly used their company’s account as a mule for offences across several states. An 81‑year‑old senior from Ernakulam, Kerala, lost ₹1.90 crore, which was deposited into the mule account, illustrating the senior‑citizen targeting by organised cyber‑crime rings. Justice Bagchi asked why victims should travel to Delhi for the convenience of the accused and affirmed that victims’ rights and the investigating agencies’ needs come first. The chief justice also queried if a victim whose money was sent to Hong Kong and Bangkok could be forced to appear there, highlighting the impracticality of such demands.

Context

In total, thirty‑five criminal cases linked to the alleged cyber offences remain pending in Delhi, Maharashtra, Kerala, Telangana and Gujarat. The bench ordered the cases stay in their respective states and warned that any attempt to use the proceedings to hinder investigations will not be tolerated.