Ex-CJI Justice Sanjiv Khanna warns that while UPI has reduced cash transactions, it hasn’t eliminated corruption. Digital systems have merely shifted theft online, making cyber and white-collar crimes a growing concern in India.
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NEW DELHI: Retired Chief Justice of India, Justice Sanjiv Khanna, recently raised a critical concern: the growing perception that law enforcement agencies are to be feared rather than trusted. Speaking at the TPF–Dayitva: National Legal Conference on Combating White-Collar Crime in New Delhi on October 11, he warned that such public mistrust is allowing cybercriminals to thrive.
“Instead of seeking justice, many end up paying the harassers out of fear,”
Justice Khanna observed, referring to scams such as digital arrest frauds.
He stressed that law enforcement must become more empathetic and approachable, while public awareness must also increase.
“It’s time law enforcement became more approachable and public awareness increased—a two-way process that can truly help address the issue,”
he said.
Justice Khanna also highlighted the broader challenge of white-collar crime, calling it “an evolving threat that corrodes the moral fabric of society.” He urged lawmakers to differentiate between intentional fraud, unintentional error, and procedural lapse.
“Every act or failure to act that has financial implications cannot be painted with the same brush. The strength of the justice system lies not in the severity of punishment but in the certainty of justice,”
he noted.
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Former Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director Karnal Singh emphasized the need for better coordination among investigative agencies.
“Often, there is little cooperation among investigative bodies probing the same case. Agencies are reluctant to share evidence or documents seized during investigation,”
Singh explained.
Citing the AgustaWestland bribery case, he said, “There is no clear information about the rest of the funds,” stressing the importance of both domestic and international cooperation in tracking and recovering illicit assets.
Ashish Kumar Chauhan, Managing Director and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE), observed that the nature of theft has evolved with prosperity.
“Today, money is no longer stolen from pockets but from systems. UPI may have removed cash, but not corruption. It has only made the thefts digital,”
he remarked.
TPF National Convenor Raj Kumar Nahataa called on professionals to take an active role in safeguarding ethics and national development. “Every scam robs us of opportunity, every fraud delays our development,” he said, urging professionals to act as collective whistleblowers and guardians of ethics.
The conference brought together experts from law, finance, medicine, and academia to discuss governance, compliance, and the evolving legal framework to tackle financial crimes, key steps toward India’s vision of a transparent, corruption-free society and ‘Viksit Bharat 2047.’
