Bench takes suo motu cognisance after senior citizens lose ₹1.5 crore; calls for coordinated national crackdown on cyber fraud.
Supreme Court of India.New Delhi, November 3 2025: Terming the surge in digital arrest scams “shocking” and a serious threat to public trust, the Supreme Court of India on Friday vowed to deal with the perpetrators “with an iron hand”.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, which is hearing a suo motu case on the issue, called for stringent and coordinated action by central and state agencies to curb the growing menace.
“This is a shocking situation. We will deal with it with iron hands,” the Bench observed during the hearing, expressing concern over the widespread frauds being perpetrated through digital impersonation of law enforcement and judicial officials.
Suo motu case on nationwide digital arrest fraud
The apex court had last month taken suo motu cognisance of the issue after a senior citizen couple from Haryana wrote to the Chief Justice, reporting that they were defrauded of ₹1.5 crore between September 1 and 16. The couple alleged that they were contacted by scammers posing as officials of the CBI, Intelligence Bureau, and even the judiciary.
The fraudsters reportedly used forged Supreme Court orders and conducted fake video calls, threatening the couple with “imminent arrest” unless they made the payments. Subsequent investigation by the Ambala Cybercrime Branch, which registered two FIRs, revealed that the incident was part of an organised, pan-India pattern of digital extortion.
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MHA and CBI file sealed cover report
At the previous hearing, the Court had directed all States and Union Territories to submit details of FIRs registered in connection with such digital frauds and asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) whether it had sufficient resources to handle the mounting number of cases nationwide.
On Friday, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government, informed the Bench that a dedicated unit within the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is already working on the issue in coordination with the CBI and state cybercrime units.
“A separate unit in MHA is coordinating, and several steps are being taken,” Mehta told the Court, submitting a sealed cover report containing the latest data and action plan.
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Court to issue directions; next hearing on November 10
Following a brief hearing, the Bench said it would study the submissions before issuing detailed directions. The case has been listed for further hearing on November 10.
The Court had earlier sought responses from the Central government, the CBI, and also requested the assistance of the Attorney General for India in framing a comprehensive response mechanism.
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Widespread digital extortion racket
Reports of digital arrest scams have surfaced across multiple States, with fraudsters impersonating police officers, CBI agents, or judicial authorities. Victims are often contacted via WhatsApp or video calls, shown fake identity cards or court orders, and coerced into transferring large sums of money under the pretext of avoiding arrest or criminal charges.
Cybercrime officials have described the phenomenon as one of the fastest-growing forms of online fraud in India, targeting senior citizens, professionals, and NRIs.
By taking suo motu cognisance, the Supreme Court has signalled its intent to hold agencies accountable and ensure the creation of a national-level strategy to prevent and prosecute such offences.
The Bench is expected to issue concrete directions on central coordination, investigation, and public awareness at the next hearing.
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