The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of India launched a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime operations behind tech support scams and cryptocurrency fraud. The operation, named Chakra-II, was based on complaints from Microsoft, Amazon, and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of India. The CBI registered five cases against the accused, who were operating illegal call centres and online platforms to cheat innocent victims. The CBI conducted searches at 76 locations across 11 states and seized various digital devices and bank accounts. The CBI is also collaborating with international agencies such as the FBI, INTERPOL, NCA, Singapore Police Force and BKA to identify more leads and suspects. This is the second phase of Operation Chakra, which was initiated last year by the CBI to fight against transnational organized cyber-enabled financial crimes in India.
Cybercrime is a relatively new phenomenon in India, which emerged with the advent of the internet and information technology. The first cybercrime occurred in 1992 when the first polymorphic virus was released¹. The virus, called Tequila, infected executable files and changed its code to avoid detection by antivirus software¹. The virus caused widespread damage to computer systems in India and other countries¹.
The case of Yahoo v. Akash Arora (1999) was one of the earliest examples of cybercrime in India²⁴. The defendant, Akash Arora, was accused of utilizing the trademark or domain name ‘yahooindia.com,’ and a permanent injunction was sought in this case²⁴. The Delhi High Court held that the use of a similar domain name by the defendant amounted to passing off and infringement of the plaintiff’s trademark rights²⁴.
Another notable case of cybercrime in India was that of Vinod Kaushik and ors. v. Madhvika Joshi and ors. (2006)². This case involved online defamation and harassment of a woman by her ex-husband and his associates². The defendants created a fake profile of the woman on a matrimonial website and posted obscene messages and photographs². The Bombay High Court granted an interim injunction against the defendants and directed them to remove the offensive content from the website².
Cybercrime in India has evolved over time and has become more sophisticated and diverse. Some of the common types of cybercrime in India include hacking, phishing, identity theft, cyber stalking
(1) Cyber crime in India – statistics & facts | Statista. https://www.statista.com/topics/5054/cyber-crime-in-india/.
(2) EMERGING CYBER CRIMES IN INDIA: A Concise Compilation. https://bprd.nic.in/writereaddata/userfiles/file/202112100357405232850emergingcybercrimesinindia.pdf.
(3) An Analysis on Cyber Crime in India – Legal Service India. https://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-797-an-analysis-on-cyber-crime-in-india.html.