Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday expressed concern over the rising number of “digital arrest” scams, noting that even well-educated individuals are falling victim to such fraud.
Hearing a suo motu case on the issue, a bench led by the CJI and also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi highlighted a recent incident involving an elderly woman who lost her entire retirement savings to fraudsters. The CJI said he was aware of the case in his official capacity and described it as deeply unfortunate.
The matter was mentioned by Attorney General R. Venkataramani, who informed the court that discussions were underway and progress was being made swiftly. He requested that the case be listed for further hearing on May 12, which the bench agreed to.
During the proceedings, concerns were raised about the continued occurrence of such scams despite the Supreme Court’s ongoing scrutiny. The CJI remarked that it was “shocking” that educated individuals were still being deceived in this manner.
Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters impersonating law enforcement officials, court authorities, or government personnel. Victims are typically contacted through audio or video calls, intimidated with false accusations, and coerced into transferring money under the threat of legal action.
Earlier, on February 9, the Supreme Court had described cyber frauds involving over Rs 54,000 crore as nothing short of “robbery or dacoity.” It directed the Centre to develop a standard operating procedure (SoP) in consultation with key stakeholders, including the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), banks, and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The court also emphasized the need for banks to take a proactive role in preventing such frauds and instructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to identify and investigate digital arrest cases. State governments, including Delhi and Gujarat, were asked to grant the necessary approvals for these investigations.
Additionally, the court called for a coordinated framework involving the RBI and other authorities to ensure compensation for victims. The Attorney General informed the bench that the RBI has already drafted an SoP, which includes measures such as temporarily freezing bank accounts to prevent fraudulent transactions.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been directed to formally adopt and implement these guidelines nationwide.
In earlier proceedings, the court had also questioned why advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence were not being used more effectively to track and freeze accounts linked to cybercriminals.
(With inputs from PTI)