Establish three more NIA courts in Karnataka within six months: K'taka High Court
Bengaluru, Apr 28: The High Court of Karnataka has recommended that three more Special Courts for National Investigation Agency (NIA) cases be established in three revenue divisions of Karnataka, within the next six months.
"We hereby recommend the State Government to constitute/establish three Special Courts for trial of NIA cases in Mysore Division, Belagavi Division and Kalburgi Division within a period of six months from the date of receipt of copy of the order," the Division Bench of B Veerappa and Justice Venkatesh Naik T said in their judgment dismissing the appeals filed by 41 accused in the Hubballi riots case.
It would "ensure speedy trial and disposal of the NIA cases" in order to make justice accessible to the needy and "to fulfil the scope and object of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act", the bench said.
A Special Court had rejected the bail pleas of the accused after which they approached the HC in two separate petitions.
In its common order on the two petitions, the HC said in its April 20 judgment, "On re-appreciation of the entire material on record, we answer the point raised in these criminal appeals in the negative holding that the appellants/accused have not made out a case to interfere with the impugned order passed by the Special Court rejecting their applications for regular bail in the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case."
While dealing with the bail petitions, the HC also noted that very old NIA cases had also been pending.
"As of today, for the entire State, the Government has established only one Special Court at Bangalore to deal with the cases under National Investigation Agency Act, 2008. By careful perusal of the statistical data, it is clearly depicted that NIA cases which are more than 8 to 9 years old are pending," it said.
The Court said it was high time that new courts were established.
"If the newly proposed Special Courts are not constituted/established, one Special Court in the entire State would be overburdened and will lead to inordinate delay in trial and disposal of NIA cases, which is against the Constitutional mandate as contemplated under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India," it said.
In Karnataka, Bengaluru Division consists of nine districts; Mysore Division consists eight districts, Belagavi Division consists seven districts and Kalburgi Division consists of six districts, the HC noted.
The HC also listed the number of cases pending in the existing Special Court. It found that one case was nine years old, two cases each were eight and seven years old, six cases were five years old, three cases six years old, eight cases two years old and five cases one year old.
"It is high time for the State Government to fulfill the scope and object of the UA(P) Act and ensure speedy trial and disposal by constituting/establishing three more Special Courts for trial of NIA cases in other revenue Divisions of Karnataka," the HC said.
The HC was hearing the appeal of 41 accused in the Hubballi riots on the night of April 16, 2022.
A complaint had been filed against a person for his Whatsapp status showing a saffron flag on a masjid.
Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Hubballi rural police station demanding action. They allegedly, with the "intention of committing the murder" of the police personnel, "assaulted with clubs, pelted stones and threw chappals on the police and caused injuries, destroyed the vehicles of police and public and government properties."
The police booked several people for the riots, and later the case was handed over to the NIA. The bail petitions of the accused were rejected by the Special Court on December 26, 2022 after which they approached the HC.
Rejecting their plea, the HC said, "Though several contentions urged by the learned counsel for the appellants for granting bail and the learned SPP for rejecting the bail, the fact remains that the accused have not made out any prima facie case to grant bail."
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TraceX Guard Strengthens National Safety Against Mobile Cyber Threats
India is witnessing a sharp rise in trojanised Android APK scams, as cybercriminals increasingly exploit fake government, banking, LPG, challan, and welfare scheme apps to seize full remote control of victims’ smartphones.
Cybersecurity investigators warn that attackers are now widely deploying Remote Access Trojan (RAT) malware, often powered by leaked builder kits such as CraxsRAT and heavily modified custom payload frameworks. Once installed, these malicious APKs can convert an ordinary Android phone into a fully controlled fraud device, enabling silent surveillance, banking theft, and mass scam propagation.
These malware campaigns are primarily being distributed through WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS phishing links, and fake APK download websites, where users are tricked into installing apps disguised as:
- e-Challan apps
- SBI KYC verification tools
- PM Yojana portals
- mParivahan clones
- LPG booking apps
- fake adult video call apps
As the scale of the threat intensifies, cybersecurity startup TraceX Labs has introduced TraceX Guard, positioning it as a frontline mobile defence platform against APK fraud, RAT infections, QR scams, and malicious permission abuse.
Fear-Based Social Engineering Behind the Surge
According to investigators, these frauds typically begin with panic-driven social engineering messages sent over WhatsApp or Telegram.
Common bait messages include:
- Your traffic challan has been issued
- Your SBI KYC is pending
- PM Yojana verification required
- Your LPG cylinder booking failed
- Your bank account will be blocked
These alerts often include fake challan numbers, vehicle details, Aadhaar-linked references, or forged bank notices, creating a sense of urgency that pushes victims to install the malicious APK without verification.
One of the most dangerous variants currently in circulation is a fake mParivahan-style application, which closely mimics India’s legitimate transport services interface while secretly embedding a hidden RAT payload.
How the Malware Takes Over Smartphones
Once installed, the malicious APK immediately requests dangerous permissions, including:
- Accessibility access
- SMS permissions
- Call logs
- Notifications
- File storage
- Battery optimization exemptions
Security researchers say Accessibility Service abuse remains the most critical attack vector, allowing the malware to silently:
- read screen contents
- detect banking and UPI apps
- auto-click Allow / Confirm / Pay buttons
- capture OTPs
- launch hidden overlays
- navigate banking sessions
- trigger silent fund transfers
Because these actions occur directly on the victim’s trusted device, attackers are often able to bypass traditional fraud detection systems.
Within minutes, victims may lose control over:
- bank balances
- UPI wallets
- Aadhaar and PAN scans
- contact lists
- personal photos and media
- incoming calls
- SMS OTPs
In many cases, the malware also self-propagates by forwarding malicious APK links through the victim’s own WhatsApp groups and Telegram chats, triggering a chain infection effect across trusted social circles.Fake RTO Challan APKs Become the Most Dangerous Variant
Among the most active campaigns, fake RTO challan APK scams have emerged as one of the most financially destructive.
Victims are first lured into paying a ₹1 “verification fee”, after which the malicious app requests highly sensitive information such as:
- card number
- expiry date
- CVV
- UPI PIN
- net banking credentials
- even ATM PINs
Cybersecurity experts stress that no legitimate government payment system ever asks for an ATM PIN inside an app, making this an immediate red flag.
Once payment details are entered, the embedded RAT intercepts OTPs and silently completes unauthorized transactions.
India’s Mobile Fraud Crisis Reaches Critical Levels
Investigators estimate that more than 70% of reported cyber fraud cases in India now originate from mobile devices, with millions of complaints linked to:
- malicious APKs
- phishing URLs
- QR scams
- RAT droppers
- banking session hijacks
- WhatsApp fraud chains
The impact is particularly severe across Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions, where smartphone adoption has expanded faster than awareness around:
- APK sideloading risks
- dangerous permissions
- fake banking overlays
- accessibility abuse
- WhatsApp APK scams
This has effectively turned Android smartphones into the primary battlefield of India’s financial cybercrime ecosystem.
TraceX Guard Introduced as a Real-Time Defence Layer
In response to this rapidly evolving threat landscape, TraceX Labs has launched TraceX Guard, an AI-powered multilingual Android security suite built specifically for India’s APK fraud ecosystem.
The platform offers:
- real-time APK scanning
- malicious permission detection
- hidden app discovery
- RAT behaviour monitoring
- QR & phishing URL safety grading
- OTP and SIM fraud alerts
- Wi-Fi hotspot verification
- ransomware defence
- India-specific scam intelligence feeds
- support for 10+ regional languages
Its offline-first AI architecture allows users to scan threats without uploading personal data, making it especially useful for privacy-conscious users and low-connectivity regions.
TraceX Labs says the system is specifically trained to detect patterns used in:
- fake challan scams
- counterfeit SBI APKs
- PM Yojana malware
- wedding invitation APK attacks
- honey-trap adult apps
- Telegram-based RAT droppers
From Phishing to Malware-Driven Financial Warfare
Cybersecurity analysts say this marks a major shift in India’s digital threat landscape.
What once began as simple phishing links has now evolved into malware-driven financial warfare at scale, where a single infected smartphone can silently compromise:
- families
- WhatsApp groups
- banking accounts
- local communities
- social trust networks
With losses from mobile-first fraud already running into tens of thousands of crores, experts believe the future of cyber defence will increasingly depend on preventive mobile security tools capable of stopping unsafe APKs before installation.
In that battle, TraceX Guard is emerging as one of the most important first lines of defence for India’s digital users.
Download Now : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tracexlabs.guard
