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Cyber Fraud Victims Can Now Recover Money Before Investigation Ends. New Guidelines Issued by the Central Government Victims of cyber fraud in India now have a major relief. As per the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, money frozen in fraudsters’ bank accounts can be returned to victims even before the completion of the investigation, subject to certain conditions. This step aims to reduce the hardship faced by victims who were earlier forced to wait until the end of long investigations and court proceedings to recover their money.... Background: Why the New Guidelines Were Needed In April 2021, the Government of India launched a unified cybercrime reporting mechanism known as the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS). What Is the Major Change ? Earlier, frozen money remained locked until the investigation or trial concluded. Now, if the investigating officer is convinced that continued freezing of the amount is not necessary, the ...

Kerala High Court: Relatives’ Testimony Is Enough to Prove Cruelty Under Section 498A IPC A recent judgment of the Kerala High Court has once again reaffirmed a very important principle in cases relating to cruelty against married women. The Court held that evidence given by close relatives such as a wife’s sister and brother cannot be discarded merely because they are related, and that independent witnesses are not mandatory in domestic cruelty cases. Facts of the Case The accused in this case was the husband of the de facto complainant. The prosecution alleged that after marriage, the husband continuously harassed his wife both mentally and physically, demanding dowry. Unable to bear the cruelty, the wife approached the police, leading to the registration of a case under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code along with offences relating to dowry. The Trial Court found the husband guilty and sentenced him to six months’ imprisonment. The accused challenged this conviction before the K...