Cybercrime is emerging as a major challenge in Andhra Pradesh as thousands of digital fraud cases continue to face delays in investigation and trial, resulting in a very low conviction rate across the state.
Between 2020 and 2024, nearly 11,000 cybercrime cases were registered in Andhra Pradesh, but only 28 cases resulted in convictions during the same period. More than 6,400 cases are still under investigation, while over 1,800 remain pending before courts.
According to official crime data, the conviction rate in cybercrime cases has remained between 2% and 5% in recent years.
Police filed charge sheets in 1,974 cases during the 5-year period. However, court proceedings have moved slowly. Between 2020 and 2024, courts disposed of 626 cybercrime cases, with convictions recorded in only 28 cases, resulting in a conviction rate of nearly 4.5%.
At the end of 2024, a total of 7,772 cases were pending, including 5,242 cases carried forward from previous years. Authorities disposed of 1,327 cases during 2024, but pendency remained high at 82.9%. The charge-sheeting rate stood at 28.6%.
Cybercrime cases in the state also increased by nearly 8%, rising from 2,341 cases in 2023 to 2,528 cases in 2024. Officials said financial fraud accounted for more than half of all reported cyber offenses.
Police stated that digital fraud has caused losses worth crores of rupees to victims across the state.
Authorities attributed the low conviction rate to manpower shortages in cybercrime police stations, difficulties in collecting digital evidence and procedural delays during court trials.
Officials also said financial recovery remains limited, ranging between 6% and 10%.
Police are currently working to identify mule bank accounts used by cybercriminals to transfer stolen money across different States. These accounts are often opened in the names of unsuspecting individuals or rented out for commissions, making investigations and financial recovery more difficult.
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