In 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a record 1,005 cases and preliminary enquiries (PEs), marking the highest annual total to date. This figure represents a nearly 48% increase from 2020, when the agency filed 676 cases and enquiries, according to the latest annual report from the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and data reviewed by HT.
The surge in cases highlights the CBI’s intensified efforts in tackling corruption and related crimes, reflecting a significant trend in the agency’s activities over recent years.
“Other than special crimes, bank frauds, and other economic offences, a special focus for the past couple of years has been to target the corrupt officers, which is our core work. Subsequently, CBI’s 72 requests involving 172 officers under section 17A of the PC Act – mandatory to launch a probe against a government servant – are pending with different organisations/government departments. The CVC report further says that in 2025, CBI’s conviction rate was 71.71% compared to 69.14% in 2024. At the end of 2025, 11,510 court cases were pending under trial in various courts.
Subsequently, multiple cases have been registered to investigate digital arrest scams, human trafficking networks in south-east Asia and builders-bankers’ nexus to cheat homebuyers,” said an officer, who asked not to be named.
