Complaints to 1930: Refund of Rs. 2,23,89,575 to cyber crime victims, says Stephen Raveendra

HYDERABAD: With a significant rise in reported cybercrime cases in recent times, the Cyber Crime Police Station under the guidance of Commissioner Stephen Raveendra has embarked on a mission to assist victims in recovering their lost money that is held in bank accounts of suspects, following the due legal process.

As an outcome of this initiative, victims in 44 cases received court orders for the refund of a substantial amount totaling Rs 2,23,89,575, which was seized from bank accounts of suspects.

The process for achieving this justice is as follows:

1. Reporting the cybercrime: When a victim reports a cybercrime incident online, either through the emergency number 1930 or the NCRP portal, the complaint is forwarded to the police, along with the involvement of nodal officers from the concerned banks for a thorough investigation.

2. Investigation and asset seizure: During the investigation, the dedicated investigation officer, with the assistance of the NCRP transaction report from the banks, seizes the necessary amount from the suspect accounts as per Section 102 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C).

3. Court petition: Subsequently, the investigation officer informs the victim/complainant about the requirement to file a petition under Section 457 of Cr.P.C in the appropriate jurisdictional court. This legal step is crucial in enabling the victim to obtain a court order for the refund of the seized amount.

4. Court order: Upon reviewing the victim's petition and considering the findings from the investigation conducted by the Investigating Officer, the honorable court issues an order in line with the situation.

5. Refund Process: Following the reception of the court order, the investigating Officer works closely with the banks to ensure the timely refund of the seized amount to the victims' accounts