The Supreme Court on Monday said it was inclined to hand over the investigation into the rising cases of “digital arrests” to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing the nationwide spread and seriousness of such cyber frauds.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to all States and Union Territories, asking for detailed data on FIRs registered in connection with digital arrest scams. The court was hearing a suo motu case initiated after an elderly woman was defrauded by cybercriminals posing as law enforcement officials. The matter will be taken up next on November 3.
The bench noted that these crimes are not isolated incidents but part of a larger network operating across states and even international borders. Observing the “magnitude and pan-India spread” of such scams, the court said,
“We will monitor the progress of the CBI investigation and issue whatever directions are necessary.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, informed the bench that several such cybercrimes were being coordinated from off-shore locations such as Myanmar and Thailand. The court then directed the CBI to devise a comprehensive plan to investigate the digital arrest cases.
The bench also sought a report from the CBI on whether it requires additional technical or cyber expertise, including professionals outside the police force, to effectively tackle the growing menace.
The judges underscored that these frauds go beyond conventional cybercrime, warning that the impersonation of judicial and law enforcement authorities “strikes at the very foundation of public trust in the system.”
The court had earlier, on October 17, taken suo motu cognisance of rising incidents of online scams involving fake judicial or police orders. One prominent case involved a senior citizen couple in Ambala, Haryana, who were coerced into transferring ₹1.05 crore after fraudsters fabricated court and agency documents.
Calling it “no ordinary crime”, the bench said these cases demand coordinated efforts between central and state police to uncover the full extent of the criminal enterprise.
The court’s ongoing monitoring signals that a nationwide CBI-led probe could soon be launched to crack down on the rapidly evolving digital extortion rackets.
