Hyderabad: Barely three in every 10 cybercrime cases that reached trial in Telangana ended in conviction in 2024, even as the state continued to witness a surge in online fraud. The latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report in 2024 pegged the state’s cybercrime conviction rate at 29.2%, while the chargesheet rate stood at just 16.2%.The report also showed that more than 16,000 cybercrime cases were closed as “true but untraced/no clue”, indicating that the accused simply couldn’t be identified. Meanwhile, over 23,400 cases remained under investigation at the end of 2024.Cybercrime experts and investigators attribute the low conviction rate to several factors, including the difficulty of tracking the masterminds behind online frauds, inadequate preservation of digital evidence, procedural hurdles in prosecution, and victims opting for out-of-court settlements.Cybersecurity lawyer Rupesh Mittal said investigators often end up arresting only mule account holders—the lowest rung in the fraud network—while the real operators remain beyond the reach of law enforcement, frequently operating from abroad or as part of organised transnational syndicates.“Police are usually able to arrest only mule account holders because the money merely passes through their accounts; it doesn’t remain there. Every Indian involved is just one node in a much larger network. In many cases, victims settle disputes with mule account holders outside court. Beyond the bank trail, investigators often fail to gather strong evidence against the actual perpetrators,” he said.Mittal said weak digital evidence remains one of the biggest challenges in cybercrime investigations. “Victims must understand the importance of preserving evidence. If they fall victim to a cybercrime, they should retain screenshots, messages, emails and other digital records. Evidence is the backbone of any cybercrime investigation, and much of it lies with the victim,” he said.He also called for legal reforms and better training among investigators. “The law needs to be strengthened so that operating mule accounts itself becomes a punishable offence. People must realise that their bank accounts are their responsibility and cannot be casually handed over to others. At the same time, magistrates and police personnel need regular training to understand emerging cybercrimes and handle digital evidence effectively,” Mittal added.Police officials, however, pointed to another major challenge, which is securing the presence of accused persons during trial. “Many of the accused are from other states. We bring them to Telangana on transit warrants, but after they secure bail, they often fail to appear before the trial court. This has become a major hurdle in securing convictions,” a senior official from the Telangana cyber security bureau said.
