The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of rising cases of digital arrest where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or judicial officers to extort money from citizens.
The bench took note of various such cases being reported across the country.
The court stated that such fraud requires coordinated efforts between the central and state police to unearth the full extent of the enterprise involving forging judicial documents, extortion/robbery of innocent people, most importantly, the senior citizens.
SC Takes Suo Motu Motu Case On Digital Arrest Scams, Says ‘Matter Of Grave Concern’
The bench took note of various cases of "digital scams", especially involving senior citizens, being reported across the country.
Summary
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of rising cases of digital arrest where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or judicial officers to extort money from citizens, especially senior citizens. The SC took cognisance after a complaint from a 73-year-old woman from Ambala, Haryana, who alleged that scammers used forged Supreme Court orders to scam her in a so-called “digital arrest” and extort over Rs 1 crore.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that the "forgery of documents and the criminal misuse of the name, seal and judicial authority of this court or High Court is a matter of grave concern,” Live Law reported.
The bench took note of various such cases being reported across the country and said: “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."
The court also stated that such fraud requires coordinated efforts between the central and state police to unearth the full extent of the enterprise involving forging judicial documents, extortion/robbery of innocent people, most importantly, the senior citizens.
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