Our Bureau
New Delhi
The Supreme Court of India has vowed to deal with digital arrest scams with “iron hands” after being informed that nearly Rs 3,000 crore has been extorted from victims, mostly elderly citizens, through these cyber frauds. The scams involve cybercriminals impersonating government, police, or investigative officers and digitally arresting victims in fake cases to extort money from them. The court expressed grave concern over the rising menace, warning that if stringent measures are not passed immediately, the problem will only exacerbate.
A bench headed by Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took suo motu cognizance of the issue after receiving a complaint involving a forged Supreme Court order used to con people. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted a sealed cover report to the court detailing investigations into the scams. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta highlighted that the most vulnerable victims are elderly persons robbed of their entire life savings.
The court appointed senior advocate NS Nappinai as amicus curiae to assist in the matter and has scheduled further hearings. Justice Kant pointed out the need to strengthen the capabilities of technical and financial pillars tackling these scams and emphasized issuing strict judicial directives. The court also considered referring the investigation uniformly to the CBI, noting that criminal syndicates might be operating nationwide or even from offshore locations in countries like Myanmar and Thailand.
The extent of fraud uncovered shocked the court, with Justice Kant stating that the scam’s scale within India alone calls for immediate, harsh action to prevent further harm. The judiciary pledged full support to investigative agencies and warned of escalating threats if ignored, particularly to vulnerable senior citizens.
