NEW DELHI: Voicing serious concern over the growing menace of digital arrest scams, the Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of such incidents, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement agencies to extort money from citizens, particularly senior citizens.
After going through a complaint, the court sought responses from the Centre and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
“The fabrication of judicial orders bearing forged signatures of the judges strikes at the very foundation of the public trust in the judicial system besides the rule of law. Such action constituted direct assault on the dignity of the institution. Such grave criminal act cannot be treated as an ordinary or routine offence of cheating or cyber crime,” observed the Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, while seeking the assistance of the Attorney General for India on the issue.
The top court highlighted that the fabrication of judicial orders bearing forged signatures of the judges strikes at the very foundation of public trust in the judicial system and the rule of law.
Expressing its displeasure over such offences, the apex court said that such actions constituted a “direct assault” on the dignity of the institution.
The court further observed that coordinated efforts between the central and state police are required to unearth the full extent of the enterprise involving the alleged forging of judicial documents, extortion, and robbery of innocent people, most importantly senior citizens.
After examining the complaint filed by a senior citizen couple who had been defrauded of their life savings through a digital arrest scam last week, the top court took suo motu cognisance of the matter.
In the complaint, the 73-year-old woman from Ambala alleged that scammers illegally forged Supreme Court orders to confine her in a digital arrest and extorted more than ₹1 crore. She claimed that the fraudsters produced a fake order purportedly issued by a Supreme Court judge.
After going through the complaint, the top court issued notices to the Union of India through the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CBI through its Director, the Principal Secretary of the Department of Home, and the Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime, Ambala.
Noting that the issue was serious and needed to be tackled with strict measures, the apex court also directed the Haryana government and the SP, Cyber Crime, Ambala, to file a status report on the investigation conducted so far.