NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to all states and Union Territories over the growing number of “digital arrest” scams, seeking details of FIRs registered and cases pending investigation. The matter will be heard next on November 3.
Noting that several cyber fraud and digital arrest cases appear to originate from offshore locations, the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prepare a comprehensive plan to investigate such transnational crimes. It has now directed all states and Union Territories to furnish detailed reports on the number of complaints received, FIRs filed, and progress of ongoing investigations.
The bench observed that the scams have assumed a “pan-India nature and magnitude,” and said it was considering entrusting the overall probe to the CBI for better coordination and effectiveness.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said it was considering transferring investigations CBI and sought clarity on whether the agency had sufficient resources to handle all such cases nationwide.
The observation came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Bench that the CBI was already investigating a few of these cases. “CBI is already investigating some of the offences,” Mehta said.
Justice Bagchi then asked the government to verify the agency’s capacity, remarking, “Please find out whether the CBI has the resources to handle all the cases.” Justice Kant added, “If they need experts in cyber crime, they may tell us.”
In response, the Solicitor General said, “CBI is taking assistance from the cyber crime division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
Justice Bagchi noted that the real challenge lies in the scale of such offences. “The problem is volume. We have seen this in Ponzi cases — the pressure on CBI was too much then, and they wanted to offload some of the cases. Are you prepared for an exclusive investigation? That’s the extra outlay you might need,” he said.
The Bench clarified that while it was keen on ensuring a uniform probe across the country, it would not issue formal directions without first hearing from the states.
The apex court took suo motu cognisance of the issue earlier this month after a surge in reports of digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or judicial authorities to extort money from citizens, particularly targeting senior citizens.
Noting that several cyber fraud and digital arrest cases appear to originate from offshore locations, the court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prepare a comprehensive plan to investigate such transnational crimes. It has now directed all states and Union Territories to furnish detailed reports on the number of complaints received, FIRs filed, and progress of ongoing investigations.
The bench observed that the scams have assumed a “pan-India nature and magnitude,” and said it was considering entrusting the overall probe to the CBI for better coordination and effectiveness.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said it was considering transferring investigations CBI and sought clarity on whether the agency had sufficient resources to handle all such cases nationwide.
The observation came after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Bench that the CBI was already investigating a few of these cases. “CBI is already investigating some of the offences,” Mehta said.
Justice Bagchi then asked the government to verify the agency’s capacity, remarking, “Please find out whether the CBI has the resources to handle all the cases.” Justice Kant added, “If they need experts in cyber crime, they may tell us.”
In response, the Solicitor General said, “CBI is taking assistance from the cyber crime division of the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
Justice Bagchi noted that the real challenge lies in the scale of such offences. “The problem is volume. We have seen this in Ponzi cases — the pressure on CBI was too much then, and they wanted to offload some of the cases. Are you prepared for an exclusive investigation? That’s the extra outlay you might need,” he said.
The Bench clarified that while it was keen on ensuring a uniform probe across the country, it would not issue formal directions without first hearing from the states.
The apex court took suo motu cognisance of the issue earlier this month after a surge in reports of digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or judicial authorities to extort money from citizens, particularly targeting senior citizens.
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