Banks should respond diligently to police requests for information: Delhi High Court

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has said that banks ought to respond in a diligent manner to requests for information made by cyber cell of police authorities and asked the RBI to state if there are guidelines for them in respect of compliance of orders issued by police or courts.

Justice Prathiba M Singh, while dealing with a batch of lawsuits concerning instances of fraudulent transactions resulting in innocent customers being duped, also asked several banks to place on record the procedure which they follow for replying to queries raised by the investigating agency.

'It is made clear that whenever any information is requested by the Cyber Crime Cells of police authorities, banks ought to respond to the same in a diligent manner,' said the court in an order released on Tuesday.

'The RBI shall file a specific affidavit on record as to whether there are any guidelines which have been issued by it to banks in respect of queries raised by the police and for ensuring compliance of any orders passed by police authorities or Courts,' it said.

The court's order was passed after the counsel for the Delhi Police said in a number of cases, banks do not answer queries raised by the agency for ensuring compliance of orders passed by police authorities or courts.

The lawyer also said that in many cases, the ultimate accused are located in different states such as West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra etc., and it is difficult for the Delhi Police's Cyber Crime Cell to prosecute the cases in those states.

Stating that there was a 'need for some coordination between the Cyber Crime Cell of all police authorities', Justice Singh directed that a meeting be called by the Centre of all such cells.

'Let a meeting be called by the concerned Joint Secretary, MHA of all the Cyber Crime Cells in various states in order to have some coordination between them for dealing with such fraudulent transaction cases. Let the said meeting be held by 20th December, 2023 at 3:00 pm,' the court ordered.

The matter would be listed for hearing next on February 1.