SC voices concern over rising instances of digital arrest in country, seeks Centre’s response

Terming it a matter of “grave concern”, the Supreme Court on Friday (October 17, 2025) took suo motu (on its own motion) cognisance of the growing menace of “digital arrests” scams and sought responses from the Union government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi initiated the proceedings after receiving a complaint from a septuagenarian woman in Ambala, who alleged that fraudsters posing as CBI officials and judicial authorities had forged Supreme Court orders to defraud her of over ₹1 crore. She later lodged FIRs with the Cyber Crime Branch of the Ambala police in Haryana.

The Bench observed that, in the ordinary course, it would have directed the State police to expedite the investigation and take it to its logical conclusion. However, it was “aghast” to learn that the fraudsters had fabricated multiple judicial orders in the name of the Supreme Court, including one purportedly issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to block access to bank accounts, bearing the forged signature of a judge along with the seal of an Enforcement Directorate officer in Mumbai.