Cyber Command Centres Must Be Robustly Fortified & Not Remain On Paper: Karnataka High Court Suggests Measures For Effective Operation
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday (September 10) said that Cyber Command Centres (CCC), established by the State Government pursuant to a court order, to tackle emergence and growth of cyber crime in the state must be robustly fortified and not remain only on paper. Justice M Nagaprasanna in his April 25 order this year had asked the State Government to make operational cyber...
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday (September 10) said that Cyber Command Centres (CCC), established by the State Government pursuant to a court order, to tackle emergence and growth of cyber crime in the state must be robustly fortified and not remain only on paper.
Justice M Nagaprasanna in his April 25 order this year had asked the State Government to make operational cyber command centres, by appointing appropriate officers manning such centres.
Thereafter the Government passed a GO on September 8 on which the court said today, "Clauses (1) to (8) of the Government Order dated 02-09-2025 are a welcome, this Court has no reason to believe that the Government Order would only remain on paper".
It thus passed an interim order for effective operation of the CCCs.
Referring to the Government Order passed the court said:
“This CCC should not be a mere edifice of bureaucracy, but a paradigm shift, a beacon heralding a new dawn in the fight against cyber crime. Giving it teeth in its true perspective would be making the CCC emerge as a new age antidote, to meet the new age crimes. Therefore, it must be robustly fortified.”
Further it said “CCC must be insulated from external intrusion. The Officers that are brought under the umbrella of the CCC must serve with continuity and without disruptions of frequent transfers. Only then, CCC would remain stable and transparent.”
It orally said, “If this is done, the State of Karnataka will be the first state in the country to do this. First state in the country to bring in something like this, that is the importance of the Cyber Command Unit.”
It thereafter said:
Appointment/Continuity of Officers in CCB
The officers of the CCC, particularly the person who heads the CCC, the Director General of Police, must not be transferred, except owing to exceptional circumstances, so that the functioning of the CCC should not remain illusory.
The head of the CCC and his team working in the CCC must not be overnight de-positioned, without the consultation of the head of the CCC.
The court made it clear that it is consultation and not information, as any investigation by the CCC underway, should not be thwarted by repeated change of officers of the CCC.
The Director General of Police of CCC shall submit his report to the high court through the Amicus, showing progress in the investigation of cyber crimes or integration of all information and technology cases to be done under one roof i.e., CCC.
It would be the duty of the CCC to ensure transparency in the functioning of the Centre and take steps towards such transparency, including alleged corruption within the Centre.
Officers, particularly the head of the Command Centre, should not be frequently moved out of the Centre, unless warranted at least until a year or two, till the teething problems of the Command Centre or the birth pangs of the establishment does not get obviated, particularly the head of the CCC.
Integration of CCB with Cyber Crime Helpline
Complaints of cyber crimes are reported to the 1930 helpline. The helpline 1930, presently the hub against fraud, must be integrated within the framework of the CCC.
It is necessary for the helpline 1930 and the conversation therein to be recorded as a part of the police/information technology system and if necessary draw up a zero FIR against each of them. It is imperative that the 1930 helpline be integrated with the Police IT application that is subsisting and all this to be a part of the CCC.
There should be integration of the system of jurisdictional police stations and the CCC for every offence i.e., a cyber crime to be brought under the umbrella of the Command Centre.
The court further observed:
“If all of what is aforesaid is not complied, in today's world, where crimes are faceless, investigations would become baseless. In a faceless regime of criminals operating from anywhere at the click of the mouse, which should be tackled by the Investigating Officers who create an antidote to those mouse clicks from the hands of perpetrators of cyber crimes.”
It urged “The State is expected to make the CCC robust, people-friendly, deft and ironhanded to handle cyber crimes.”
The court also noted that 8396 cases were counted in 2021, and by 2025 the number has swelled into an "alarming 30,000".
The court remarked that the "graph has climbed steeply" which is a chilling reminder of the exponential growth of cyber crime.
The bench thus emphasized: “Thus, the CCC is not an option, but an imperative born of necessity.”
The court has now posted the matter on September 24 at 4.00 p.m, for further hearing.
Case Title: NEWSPACE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED VS. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA AND OTHERS.
Appearance: Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty for State
Advocate Angad Kamath for Petitioner.
Amicus Curiae B.N. Jagadeesh