Supreme Court takes note of rising digital arrest frauds, seeks response from govt

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has stepped in to stop digital arrest scams that misuse even the name of the judiciary. The court took up a case on its own after a 73-year-old woman from Ambala, Haryana, was cheated of one crore rupees. The court described it as an organised crime and said that coordinated efforts between central and state police systems are needed to expose such networks. It also observed that fraudsters mainly target senior citizens.

In the Haryana case, the scammers used a fake Supreme Court order in the name of former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and threatened the victim with a “digital arrest.” They claimed she was involved in a money-laundering case. The 73-year-old had written a letter about the incident to Chief Justice BR Gavai, based on which the court took the case suo motu.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi heard the matter. Notices were sent to the Union Home Secretary, the CBI Director, and the Haryana government. Attorney General R Venkataramani was asked to assist the court in the case.

Serious criminal act

1. The Supreme Court said that using fake signatures of judges and issuing forged court orders to commit fraud undermines the very foundation of the justice system and is deeply worrying.
2. It also warned that such actions damage public trust in the legal system and amount to a direct attack on the dignity of the highest court, making it a serious criminal offence.