The Supreme Court of India has expressed deep concern over the rising menace of “digital arrests,” a cyber fraud in which criminals use forged judicial orders to extort money from unsuspecting citizens. The court took suo motu cognizance of a case from Ambala, Haryana, where a senior citizen couple was duped through fabricated court documents and impersonation, resulting in losses of Rs 1.05 crore.
SC Takes Suo Moto Cognisance Of ‘Digital Arrest’
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi emphasised the gravity of the threat, noting that forgery of court orders and judicial signatures not only cheats individuals but also erodes public trust in the judiciary.
“We are also inclined to take judicial notice of the fact that the instance case is not the sole instance. It has been largely reported many times in the media that such crimes have taken place in different parts of the country. We are, therefore, of the view that action and coordinated efforts between the central and state police are required to unearth the full extent of the criminal enterprise involving forging judicial documents, extortion/robbery of innocent people most importantly the senior citizens,” the bench said, as per a report on PTI.
The scam came to light after a 73-year-old woman wrote to Chief Justice BR Gavai, recounting how fraudsters posing as CBI and ED officials coerced the couple using audio and video calls. The fake arrest and surveillance orders, dated between September 3 and 16, bore forged court stamps and seals, convincing the victims to transfer large sums of money through multiple bank transactions.
Highlighting that this is part of a wider pattern, the court cited media reports of similar scams targeting senior citizens nationwide. It urged coordinated action between central and state law enforcement agencies to investigate the full scale of such criminal operations.
The bench has sought assistance from the Attorney General and directed the Haryana government and Ambala cyber crime department to submit status reports on the investigation. Two FIRs have already been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
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