VIJAYAWADA: A conviction is the formal decision by a court that a person is guilty of committing a crime. The purpose of conviction or any punishment awarded by courts is to uphold justice, deter crime, protect society, and, in some cases, rehabilitate the offender.
Unfortunately, the accused in cybercrime cheating cases reported in Andhra Pradesh are walking free as there were no convictions reported in the last few years.
According to the data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Home Affairs in response to a question from MP Hibi Eden paints a troubling picture.
Cybercrime cheating cases have steadily increased-from 1,899 in 2020 to 2,528 in 2024. Yet, the conviction count has remained at zero. As cyber fraud continues to strip thousands of Andhra Pradesh residents of their hard-earned money every year, lack of knowledge and experience and glaring weaknesses in the criminal justice system is allowing offenders to escape punishment.
Despite a steady rise in cybercrime cheating cases, Andhra Pradesh has recorded zero convictions over the past five years, raising serious concerns over the state’s ability to deliver justice and deter digital criminals.
The problem begins much earlier in the justice chain.
The charge-sheet filing rate in cybercrime cheating cases remains below 10 percent, while arrests have been made in less than five per cent of cases involving cheating under Section 420 read with Sections 465, 468 and 471 of the IPC along with provisions of the Information Technology Act. In 2024 alone, 593 such cases were registered, compared with 909 in 2023, but only a handful progressed to prosecution.
For thousands of victims who have lost their savings to online scams, justice remains elusive, and the message to offenders is equally dangerous as the chances of punishment are slim.
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