The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the surge in “digital arrest” scams, where fraudsters use forged court orders and fake police identities to extort money from citizens, calling it a “direct assault on judicial dignity.”
The court has issued notices to all states and Union Territories, seeking details of FIRs registered in such cases, and is considering transferring all investigations to the CBI for a unified probe into the nationwide scam network.
The bench has also asked the CBI to confirm whether it has adequate resources to handle the growing number of cases, stressing the need for central–state coordination and stronger cyber-forensic mechanisms to combat the menace.
Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Cognisance of ‘Digital Arrest’ Scams, Issues Notices To States, UTs
The apex court issued notices to all states and Union Territories seeking details of the First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in connection with digital arrest cases.
Summary
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the alarming rise in “digital arrest” scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or judicial authorities and use forged court orders to extort money from citizens. Calling the trend a “direct assault on the dignity of the judiciary,” the apex court has sought nationwide action to curb the menace.
The bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi initiated proceedings after a complaint from a 73-year-old woman in Ambala, Haryana, who, along with her husband, was duped of over ₹1 crore by scammers who used fake Supreme Court documents and threatened them with arrest and property seizure.
Observing the rising number of such scams, in which victims have lost lakhs of rupees to cyber fraudsters, the Supreme Court issued notices to all states and Union Territories seeking details of the First Information Reports (FIRs) registered in connection with digital arrest cases. The bench also contemplated transferring all investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), given the pan-India spread and organised nature of the frauds.
The court further directed the CBI to clarify whether it has the resources and capacity to handle all such cases nationwide. It emphasised the need for a coordinated approach between central and state agencies to track the networks behind these scams and strengthen cyber-forensic mechanisms.
The suo motu case, initiated on October 17, aims to address the growing misuse of the judiciary’s name and authority in online fraud. The bench noted that the forgery of judicial orders and misuse of the Supreme Court’s seal are matters of “grave concern” that erode public trust in the justice system.
The matter, titled In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents, has been registered as Suo Motu Writ (Criminal) No. 3 of 2025, and will continue to be monitored by the apex court in the coming weeks.
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