LS passes bill to restore SC/ST Act
New Delhi, Aug 6: The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018, which seeks to overturn a Supreme Court order that struck down the provision for immediate arrest.
The amendment bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot last week.
"The government had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court with regard to its order to strike down the original provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
"Following the court decision, many SC/ST organisations called for a 'Bharat Bandh', leading to unfortunate incidents. The court decision says that to arrest an accused, approval of the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) concerned will be required. But this is not possible because in most parts of the country there are no SSPs," Gehlot said while speaking on the bill in the Lok Sabha.
He pointed out that in his native state Madhya Pradesh, SSPs are posted only in Gwalior, Bhopal and Indore.
Replying to the debate on the bill, Gehlot asked the Congress if they were so concerned about protecting the rights of the SCs and ST, why didn't they strengthen the Act for so many years since the Act was passed in 1989.
"If they thought there was scope for improvement in the Act and if there were some gaps, why didn't they amend it? They accuse us of delaying in bringing the amendment bill, but why didn't they do till 2015, when our government strengthened the Act?" he said.
The Minister also said that under the Act, now there are 47 crimes registered, while earlier there were just 22 crimes. "We didn't delay in bringing the amendment bill. The opposition tried to create an atmosphere in the country by spreading propaganda that we were anti-SC/ST and were delaying the bill," Gehlot added.
Leader of Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said it took three-four months for the Narendra Modi government to bring the bill in the House and also questioned why it did not bring an ordinance on the matter for so long.
"If the government could bring six ordinances on various other issues to favour a corporate, it also could have brought the 7th ordinance on this matter. But, unfortunately, the government could not bring an ordinance to protect the rights of millions (over 25 per cent population) of such persons in the country," said Kharge.
The Act prohibits commission of offences against members of the weaker sections and establishes special courts for trial of such offences and rehabilitation of victims.
On March 20, the Supreme Court ruled that to arrest persons accused of committing an offence under the said Act, approval of the SSP concerned will be required. Further, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) may conduct a preliminary inquiry to find out whether a prima facie case is made out under the Act.
The bill states that the Investigating Officer will not require approval of any authority for the arrest of the accused. Further, it provides that a preliminary inquiry will not be required for the registration of an FIR against those accused under the Act.
The bill says that persons accused of committing an offence under the proposed Act cannot apply for anticipatory bail. It seeks to clarify that this provision will apply despite any judgments or orders of a court that provide otherwise.
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Delhi Police busts Rs 300 crore international cyber fraud syndicate, arrests mastermind
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has busted a major international cyber fraud syndicate -- linked with over 2,000 complaints and scams worth over Rs 300 crore -- with the arrest of its alleged mastermind and 10 others, an official said on Sunday.
During the investigation, police uncovered a well-organised network operating across multiple states with links to international cyber fraud syndicates, particularly in Cambodia.
"We have so far identified over 260 bank accounts linked to more than 100 fictitious companies used to channel the proceeds of crime. The total number of complaints linked to the syndicate stands at 2,567," police said.
The key accused, Karan Kajaria, was apprehended at Kolkata airport on April 3 after a Look Out Circular was issued against him. He was brought to Delhi a day later for further investigation, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Aditya Gautam said.
The case came to light following a complaint by a city resident, Sultan, who alleged that he was duped of Rs 31.45 lakh after being lured into an investment scheme.
Police said the victim was persuaded to download a fake trading application and invest money with promises of high returns. However, when he attempted to withdraw the profits, the application stopped functioning, and the group became inaccessible.
"An FIR was registered at the cyber police station in northeast and later transferred to the crime branch for a detailed probe," the officer said.
The syndicate created fake investment platforms and messaging groups to lure victims. They used mule bank accounts arranged through intermediaries and deployed malicious applications to capture sensitive banking details, including OTPs. Funds collected from victims were routed through a complex web of bank accounts and shell companies to conceal the trail, police said.
"Kajaria, who is believed to be the main coordinator, maintained direct links with foreign-based operators and facilitated the movement of funds through cryptocurrency channels,' the DCP said.
He acted as a bridge between Indian operatives and international cyber criminals. He was also involved in procuring mule bank accounts and sharing sensitive banking details via encrypted social media platforms, the DCP added.
Police said Kajaria frequently travelled abroad to establish and strengthen links with overseas fraud networks and had attempted to evade arrest by staying outside India.
Technical surveillance helped investigators trace the network to Kolkata, where several bank accounts and shell entities were found to be operating. Upon his arrival in India, Kajaria was intercepted at the airport and taken into custody.
During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to his involvement in the syndicate, police said, adding that accounts linked to his network were associated with more than 2,500 complaints registered on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal and fraud of Rs 300 crore, the DCP said.
The investigation revealed that the syndicate had been active for the past four to five years and operated on a large scale across multiple states.
During the crackdown, police recovered 48 mobile phones, 258 SIM cards, multiple ATM cards and cheque books, four laptops, and several banking and KYC documents. Funds amounting to Rs 19 lakh have also been frozen. A total of 11 accused have been arrested in the case so far, police said, adding that further investigation is underway to identify other members of the syndicate.
