'We'll deal with iron hands': SC on ₹3,000cr worth cyber-frauds
What's the story
The Supreme Court has expressed its shock over the scale of cyber fraud cases in India, particularly digital arrest scams. "It's shocking that almost ₹3,000 crore has been collected from the victims. And this is just in our country. If we don't pass harsh and stringent orders, the problem will magnify. We will deal with this with iron hands," a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said.
Legal proceedings
Suo motu case on digital arrest scams
The court was hearing a suo motu case on the increasing menace of digital arrest scams. In an earlier hearing, it had directed all states to file details of FIRs registered in relation to such scams. The court also questioned if the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has enough resources to handle all such scam cases across the country. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) submitted sealed cover reports in response.
Cybercrime trend
Solicitor General Mehta on digital arrest scams
Digital arrest scams involve fraudsters posing as law enforcement or court officials to extort money from victims, often using audio and video calls. The matter arose after an elderly couple in Ambala, Haryana, wrote to the Supreme Court last month, saying that they were scammed of ₹1.5 crore between September 1 and 16, by scammers impersonating central agency officers. The scammers had contacted them via phone and video conference, using bogus Supreme Court orders to extort payment.
Public grievances
Next hearing date
Two FIRs were then filed with the Ambala cybercrime branch, revealing an orchestrated pattern of such crimes against senior individuals. The court took note of media reports indicating that similar scams had occurred in various states and requested replies from the Central Government and the CBI on October 17. It also asked for assistance from India's Attorney General. The court has posted the matter for hearing on November 10.