Karnataka records only 0.23% conviction rate in cybercrime cases due to procedural gaps
Bengaluru: Karnataka's conviction rate in cybercrime cases remains alarmingly low, with only 204 convictions recorded from 85,642 cases registered under the Information Technology Act between 2020 and July 2025.
According to data obtained by the Deccan Herald, the rate of conviction is only 0.23 percent. The data also reveals that 2024 had the highest number of registered cases at 22,472. Out of which only 20 were convicted. Senior authorities have blamed the low rate of conviction on procedural flaws, a backlog of cases and obstacles specific to cybercrime investigations.
Compliance with in-person notifications and warrants also becomes difficult for investigating authorities as they face challenges in locating witnesses who live across the country. The preservation of digital evidence poses another critical problem.
“The very nature of electronic evidence is such that it gets lost over time, naturally,” said C Vamsi Krishna, Joint Commissioner of Police (West Bengaluru). He cited instances where courts requested raw CCTV footage during trials, only for cases to collapse because original files were overwritten after a few weeks.
Experts also pointed to the limited cooperation from intermediaries such as banks, Internet Service Providers, and social media platforms. “Most of the reliable evidence gets stuck with intermediaries, who seldom cooperate. Until they are held accountable like other suspects, securing convictions becomes challenging,” said Vijayashankar Nagarajarao, a Bengaluru-based cyberlaw expert. He noted that encrypted and anonymous services such as Proton Mail continue to hinder investigations. He called for stricter enforcement against non-compliant entities.
Financial complexities further obstruct investigation as the cybercriminals often use ‘mule accounts’ to launder proceeds through multiple layers of transactions. Investigators have traced money through as many as 1,000 accounts in few cases. Each of these cases requires separate verification and compliance processes.
Authorities noted that legal reforms are being considered to strengthen investigations and trials. “We have learnt from our experiences and have incorporated solutions into our training. Regular sessions are being conducted for police, prosecutors, and judicial officers,” Krishna said.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
