The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong concern over the rising menace of digital arrest frauds, describing them as a grave threat to public trust and security. The bench, headed by Justice Surya Kant and comprising Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Joymalya Bagchi, said such crimes must be dealt with an “iron hand.”
The bench made these remarks after reviewing a sealed report submitted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The report revealed that an estimated ₹3,000 crore had been siphoned off from Indian citizens through these scams, most of them targeting senior citizens.
Justice Kant warned, “If we ignore this problem or cow down now and don’t pass stringent orders, the problem will magnify. We are determined to deal with this problem with an iron hand.”
The court said the findings in the report were “shocking,” noting that the ₹3,000 crore figure represented only Indian victims, with the global scope of such crimes still unknown.
The proceedings stem from a letter written by a 73-year-old couple from Ambala, who lost over ₹1 crore to fraudsters posing as CBI officers. The scammers contacted them through WhatsApp, showed forged Supreme Court orders, and coerced them into transferring their savings under threat of arrest.
Taking serious note of the misuse of judicial symbols and forged documents, the bench had earlier observed that such crimes “strike at the very foundation of public trust in the judicial system.”
Recognizing the seriousness of the issue, the Supreme Court appointed senior advocate N.S. Nappinai as amicus curiae to assist in framing preventive measures. The bench directed the Centre and agencies to share relevant reports and past victim letters with her for recommendations.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed the court that the MHA has set up a dedicated coordination unit to tackle these cases. He also highlighted the technological challenge faced by investigators—calls made through AI-generated video simulations and WhatsApp are often untraceable, as the scams originate from foreign “scam compounds” in countries lacking mutual legal assistance treaties with India.
The Supreme Court had earlier directed all States and Union Territories to furnish data on digital arrest cases and suggested that investigations could be consolidated under one central agency, likely the CBI, given the crime’s transnational character.
The matter will be heard again next week, with the court expected to consider further directions based on the amicus’ recommendations and government inputs.
