The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam to attend a hearing in a cyber fraud case concerning former banker, Naveen Bhatia of Jabalpur. The court has also ordered the attachment of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in the proceedings.
Chetali Mishra, a retired banker from Gora Bazaar in Jabalpur, was allegedly cheated of ₹6.24 lakh in the case. She was tricked into giving information about her credit card to “bank representatives” according to the complaint and it was done in the name of updating her account.
Mishra had approached various authorities without any relief having been obtained and later, approached the High Court for relief. The court, during the hearing, noted that in cybercrime offences, no time could be wasted because it makes it tougher to track the culprit and trace the stolen amount back to him.
The Superintendent of Police (SP), Jabalpur, told the court it was transferred to the cyber cell after receipt of the complaint. The investigation has, however, been stalled due to the fact that it involves a number of banks and several leads cross state lines.
Considering the inter-state nature of the case, the High Court has asked the DGPs of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam to appear before the court on July 21.
Moreover, the case in the High Court throws light on the increasing danger in the field of cybercrime in the town of Jabalpur. NCRB data show that in the last one and a half years, over 4,200 citizens suffered cyber frauds here and lost almost Rs 50 crore. During January to July 2026 the cyber security incidents amounted to around 800 which caused the loss of nearly Rs 15 crore, whereas in 2025 it was exceed 3400 cyber security incidents with loss of nearly Rs 35 crore.