SC Flags Concern Over Rise In Digital Arrests, Seeks Response From Centre, CBI: 'Cannot Be Treated As Ordinary Offence'

SC On Digital Arrest: The Supreme Court of India on Friday flagged concern over the rising number of digital arrest cases across the country, seeking a response from the Centre and the Central Bureau of India (CBI) in a suo motu move.

Taking a serious note of 'digital arrest' of a senior citizen couple in Ambala on the basis of forged court orders and extortion of Rs 1.05 crore, the apex court said the forging court orders and the signatures of judges to digitally arrest innocent people strikes at trust and faith of people in judicial institutions.

The top court also sought an assistance of Attorney General and directed the Haryana government and the Ambala cyber crime department to file status report on probe.

Such A Grave Criminal Act Cannot Be Treated As An Ordinary: SC

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi flagged the rising number of digital arrest cases across the country and sought the response of the Centre, CBI in a case registered as suo motu after the 73-year-old woman wrote to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai. The apex court asserted that such a grave criminal act cannot be treated as an ordinary or solitary offence of cheating or cyber crime.

The bench said forging apex court, high court orders, and signatures of judges to digitally arrest innocent people, including senior citizens, strikes at the bottom of trust and faith of people in judicial institutions.

"We are also inclined to take judicial notice of the fact that the instance case is not the sole instance. It has been largely reported many times in the media that such crimes have taken place in different parts of the country. We are, therefore, of the view that action and coordinated efforts between the central and state police are required to unearth the full extent of the criminal enterprise involving forging judicial documents, extortion/robbery of innocent people most importantly, the senior citizens," the bench said.

The matter was brought to the court's notice by the complainant woman, who alleged that scamsters produced a forged court order with stamp and seal for arrest and surveillance of the couple between September 3 and 16 to defraud over Rs 1 crore through multiple bank transactions.
(With PTI inputs)