₹1.5 Crore Stolen from Seniors via ‘Digital Arrest’; Supreme Court Takes Suo Motu Action

The Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took up the matter on Friday based on a letter addressed to Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai by the complainant. In her representation, she stated that individuals impersonating officials of the CBI, IB, and judiciary contacted her through video calls and phone, producing a fabricated order purportedly issued by former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, falsely claiming that she had been “digitally arrested.” She was coerced into transferring more than Rs. 1 crore for her supposed “release.”

Taking note of the complaint, the Court observed that the case discloses a pattern of organised cybercrime targeting senior citizens. Between September 1 and 16, multiple victims were contacted through WhatsApp and video calls, shown forged Supreme Court orders, and threatened with arrest under fabricated proceedings.

The victims, under duress, transferred about Rs.1.5 crore through multiple transactions. Two FIRs have been registered at the Cyber Crime Branch, Ambala, revealing the broader network involved.

The Bench expressed strong disapproval of the misuse of the Supreme Court’s name, saying it was “aghast” that fraudsters had fabricated multiple judicial orders, including a forged freeze order dated September 1 purportedly issued under the PMLA, complete with fake signatures of a judge, an ED officer, and a court seal.

Calling for stern and coordinated action at the national level, the Court issued notice to the Union of India (through the MHA Secretary), the CBI Director, the State of Haryana, and the Cyber Crime Department, Ambala.

It further requested the Attorney General of India (AGI) R. Venkataramani to assist the Court in the matter.

The Registry was directed to forward the complaints and documents to the authorities concerned, while the State of Haryana and the SP, Cyber Crime, Ambala, were directed to file a status report on the investigation conducted so far.

Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) underscores the alarming trend, 2,746 cases of digital arrest scams were reported between January and August 2024, which nearly doubled to 4,439 in the same period in 2025. Authorities have blocked over 1,700 Skype IDs and 59,000 WhatsApp accounts linked to such scams.

According to official estimates, scammers have extorted nearly Rs. 25 billion through ‘digital arrest’ schemes, often targeting vulnerable senior citizens under the guise of law enforcement.