|In a landmark move addressing escalating digital threats, the Karnataka High Court has instructed the State to establish a dedicated Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau and form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a critical cyber espionage case involving drone technology theft. The order, passed by Justice M Nagaprasanna, underlines the urgent need to evolve enforcement mechanisms amid rising sophisticated cyber crimes.
The case revolves around a petition filed by Newspace Research and Technologies, a Bengaluru-based drone tech firm, which alleged that former employees shared proprietary data with a rival company, Lenviz, to illegally secure defence contracts.
Recognising the incident as a national security threat, the court stressed that failure to adapt would render justice in digital crimes “a mirage”. It highlighted Karnataka’s proposal of a Cyber Command Centre, envisioned to be led by a DGP-rank officer, and urged the State to bring it to life—not just on paper.
The court also revealed a disturbing trend: only 9% of cybercrime cases result in chargesheets—not due to innocence of accused, but lack of investigative expertise. It emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in policing new-age crimes with well-trained, tech-savvy officers.
Advocate Angad Kamath, representing Newspace, called the ruling a strong assurance to tech startups, ensuring protection of intellectual property from insider data theft.
Read also:
.