Only 28 convictions in 11,000 cybercrime cases in AP

Visakhapatnam: Cybercrime is fast emerging as a major concern in Andhra Pradesh, with digital offences often going unpunished due to low conviction rates and delays in investigation and trial.Around 11,000 cybercrime cases were registered in the state between 2020 and 2024, but only 28 ended in conviction during the period. More than 6,400 cases remain under investigation, while over 1,800 are pending in courts. The conviction rate has consistently remained low, hovering between 2% and 5% in recent years.According to NCRB data, police filed charge sheets in 1,974 cases during the five-year period. However, once cases enter the court system, progress slows significantly. Courts disposed of 626 cases between 2020 and 2024, with convictions in just 28, translating to a conviction rate of about 4.5%.At the end of 2024, as many as 7,772 cases were pending, including 5,242 carried forward from previous years. Authorities managed to dispose of 1,327 cases during 2024, but pendency remained high at 82.9%, with the charge-sheeting rate at 28.6%. Overall, 6,444 cases were still under investigation, underscoring delays in both probe and prosecution.Cybercrime incidents rose by around 8% from 2,341 cases in 2023 to 2,528 in 2024, with fraud accounting for over half of all offences. Police said financial fraud has duped victims of crores of rupees, highlighting the growing scale of digital scams.Officials attribute the low conviction rate to manpower shortages in cybercrime police stations, challenges in collecting digital evidence, and procedural delays during trial. Financial recovery remains limited, at just 6% to 10%.Police said efforts are underway to track mule bank accounts used in cyber fraud. These accounts, often opened in the names of unsuspecting individuals or rented out for commission, are used by fraudsters to route stolen money across states, making recovery difficult.