The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday issued strong directions to ensure the newly formed Cyber Command Centre (CCC) does not end up as another bureaucratic edifice. Justice M. Nagaprasanna, while hearing the writ petition filed by NewSpace Research and Technologies Pvt. Ltd. vs. State of Karnataka & Others (WP No. 8403/2025), reminded the State that cybercrime is growing at a frightening pace and only a dedicated, empowered institution can respond effectively.
Background
The case originally stemmed from Crime No. 1025 of 2024, which the Court had earlier ordered to be reinvestigated by a Special Investigation Team. Alongside, the bench also flagged the need for a full-fledged cyber command centre in Karnataka. Despite the Supreme Court refusing to interfere with these observations, the State moved cautiously, finally notifying a Government Order on 2 September 2025 establishing the CCC.
Statistics placed before the Court revealed the urgency. In 2021, around 8,396 cases under the IT Act were registered. By 2025, that number has shot up to nearly 30,000. “The graph has climbed steeply, a chilling reminder of the exponential growth of cyber crime, the judge noted.
During the hearing, Justice Nagaprasanna was clear that the CCC must not remain a showpiece. If it remains inert, it would only become a paper implementation, in the face of growing menace of cyber crimes, the bench said. He stressed that the centre must be insulated from frequent transfers of senior officers, which otherwise weaken institutional memory and continuity.
The Court also touched upon practical issues, particularly the 1930 helpline. Victims often call the number to block fraudulent transactions, but no formal case gets registered. The bench remarked,
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“It is necessary for the helpline 1930 and the conversation therein to be recorded as a part of the police system… and if necessary, draw up a zero FIR.” Integration of the helpline with the CCC and police IT systems was called “imperative.”
Another serious concern was the uneven handling of cyber cases between regular police stations and cyber-specific stations. Ordinary stations, often under-equipped, are handling thousands of such cases. This, the Court said, made it essential that all cybercrime investigations come under the CCC’s supervision.
The Court directed that the Government Order of 2 September must be fully and effectively implemented, not left as lip service. The Director General of Police heading the CCC was instructed not to be transferred except under exceptional circumstances, and all reports of progress are to be submitted through the amicus curiae to the Court.
Listing the matter for further hearing on 24 September 2025, Justice Nagaprasanna concluded that in today’s digital world, investigations cannot become baseless in a faceless regime of criminals. The CCC, he said, must emerge as a new age antidote to new age crimes.
Case Title (English): NewSpace Research and Technologies Private Limited vs. The State of Karnataka and Others
Case Number: WP No. 8403/2025 (GM – Police)
