MP High Court summons DGPs of 3 states over ₹6.24 lakh cyber fraud probe delay
Synopsis
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has summoned the top police chiefs of three states — Assam, West Bengal, and Jharkhand — over delays in probing a ₹6.24 lakh cyber fraud against a retired bank employee. The bench also pulled in MHA, RBI, and DoT as parties, signalling a rare judicial push to fix systemic gaps in India's inter-state cybercrime response.
Key Takeaways
The Madhya Pradesh High Court directed DGPs of Assam , West Bengal , and Jharkhand to appear in person on 21 July .
The case involves a ₹6.24 lakh cyber fraud against Chaitali Mitra , a retired bank employee from Jabalpur .
The bench of Justice Himanshu Joshi also impleaded MHA , RBI , and DoT as parties to assist the court.
The primary suspect has reportedly been traced to Assam ; fraudsters used Telegram and third-party bank accounts to evade detection.
Police cited bank information delays of 3–5 days and multi-state coordination gaps as key obstacles to timely investigation.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the Directors General of Police of Assam, West Bengal, and Jharkhand to appear in person on 21 July in connection with a petition involving a ₹6.24 lakh cyber fraud, underscoring that prompt inter-state coordination is indispensable for effective investigation of such offences. The summons were issued on Tuesday, 15 July, by a bench of Justice Himanshu Joshi in Jabalpur.
Background: The Petitioner's Case
The case stems from a petition filed by Chaitali Mitra, a retired bank employee from Jabalpur, who alleged she was defrauded of ₹6.24 lakh by fraudsters posing as representatives seeking to update her credit card details. After lodging complaints with local police and receiving no effective response, Mitra approached the High Court seeking intervention.
Key Developments in Court
The bench directed that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) be impleaded as parties to assist the court. Copies of the court's order were also directed to be supplied to the standing counsel for the Union government and the RBI ahead of the next hearing.
In compliance with an earlier order, Jabalpur Superintendent of Police Sampat Upadhyay, Cyber Police Station in-charge Bhupendra Armo, and Gora Bazar Police Station in-charge Sanjeev Kumar Tripathi appeared before the bench.
Why Investigations Are Stalling
The Jabalpur SP submitted that while the complaint was promptly referred to the cyber police, obtaining information from banks and their nodal officers typically takes three to five days. Investigations further require assistance from police in other states, compounding delays.
The court was informed that cybercriminals were operating through bank accounts opened in the names of unsuspecting individuals and using encrypted platforms such as Telegram to evade detection. Investigators must obtain IP logs, subscriber details, and other technical data from multiple agencies — by which time, according to police, suspects often withdraw funds, relocate, and destroy electronic evidence.
Observing that 'every second is important' in cybercrime investigations, the court noted that delays in gathering technical information and coordinating across state lines frequently allow accused persons to escape the law.
Main Suspect Traced to Assam
Police informed the court that the primary suspect in the case had been traced to Assam. On the petitioner's request, the Assam DGP was subsequently impleaded as a respondent. The DGPs of West Bengal and Jharkhand have also been directed to appear personally on 21 July with updated status reports on the investigation.
What Happens Next
The matter is scheduled for further hearing on 21 July, when the three DGPs are required to present their status reports. The impleading of central agencies — MHA, RBI, and DoT — signals that the court intends to examine systemic gaps in the national cyber fraud response architecture, not just the facts of this individual case. The outcome could set a precedent for how multi-state cybercrime investigations are coordinated in India.
Point of View
Not incidental: cybercrime crosses state lines instantly, but police response is still organised around territorial jurisdictions. Bringing MHA, RBI, and DoT into the same courtroom is a signal that the bench sees this as a structural problem requiring institutional fixes, not just a one-off probe. The ₹6.24 lakh at stake is modest — the precedent being set is not.
NationPress
15 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Madhya Pradesh High Court summon the DGPs of Assam, West Bengal, and Jharkhand?
The court summoned the three DGPs on 15 July because of delays in the investigation of a ₹6.24 lakh cyber fraud case. It held that prompt inter-state coordination is essential in cybercrime cases, and that the slow response had allowed suspects to potentially evade capture.
Who is the complainant in this cyber fraud case?
The complainant is Chaitali Mitra, a retired bank employee from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. She alleges she was defrauded of ₹6.24 lakh by fraudsters who contacted her on the pretext of updating her credit card details.
Why has the investigation been delayed?
Police cited multiple factors: obtaining information from banks and nodal officers takes three to five days, coordinating with police in other states adds further delays, and cybercriminals use encrypted platforms like Telegram and third-party accounts to destroy evidence and relocate quickly.
Which central agencies has the High Court brought into the case?
The bench directed that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) be impleaded as parties to assist the court in understanding systemic gaps in cyber fraud investigations.
What happens at the next hearing on 21 July?
The DGPs of Assam, West Bengal, and Jharkhand are required to appear in person and submit status reports on the investigation. The court will also hear input from MHA, RBI, and DoT representatives before deciding on further directions.
