Terming it a matter of "grave concern", the Supreme Court on Friday (October 17, 2025) took suo motu 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.

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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.

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"The forgery of documents and the brazen criminal misuse of the name, seal, and judicial authority of this court or any High Court is a matter of grave concern. The fabrication of judicial orders bearing forged signatures strikes at the very foundation of public trust in the judiciary and the rule of law. Such acts constitute a direct assault on the dignity of this institution and cannot be equated with routine cases of cybercrime," the Bench underscored.

'Pan-India' response

The court further observed that this was not a "solitary" instance but part of a larger pattern, with similar scams being reported from across the country. Emphasising the need for a coordinated national response, it observed that "stern action on a pan-India basis" was required through concerted efforts of the Centre and police authorities in various States to uncover the full extent of this "criminal enterprise" involving forged judicial documents, extortion, and the unlawful detention of innocent citizens, particularly senior citizens.

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Accordingly, the court sought responses from the Union government, the CBI, and the Superintendent of Police of the Cyber Crime Cell, Ambala.

It also requested Attorney-General R. Venkataramani to assist the court in examining the modus operandi behind such crimes, and directed the Supreme Court Registry to transmit the complaint and accompanying documents to the relevant authorities for appropriate action.

Supreme Court expresses 'grave concern' over rising 'digital arrests' scams, seeks responses from Centre and CBI