SC takes note of increasing ‘digital arrest’ scams, issues notice to Centre

Rising incidents of online frauds in the country especially digital arrests to dupe citizens by fabricating judicial orders have come under the scanner of the Supreme Court which on Friday sought responses of the Centre and the CBI saying such offences strike at the very foundation of public trust in the systemThe top court took cognisance of a glaring case of digital arrest of a senior citizen couple in Haryanas Ambala on the basis of forged orders of the court and probe agencies by fraudsters to extort Rs 105 croreA bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said it is no ordinary crime where it could have asked the police to expedite the probe and take the case to its logical conclusion but a matter where coordinated efforts between the central and state police are required to unearth the full extent of the criminal enterpriseIt flagged the rising number of digital arrest cases across the country and sought the response of the Centre and CBI in the case registered as suo motu after the 73yearold woman wrote to Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on September 21 informing about the incident of defrauding them using court ordersThe bench said forging apex court high court orders signatures of judges to digitally arrest innocent people including senior citizens strikes at the bottom of trust and faith of people in judicial institutionsThe fabrication of judicial orders bearing forged signatures of judges strikes at the very foundation of the public trust in the judicial system besides the rule of law Such action constituted direct assault on the dignity of the institution the top court saidIt said the forgery of documents and the criminal misuse of the name seal and judicial orders of this court or high court is a matter of grave concern and such a grave criminal act cannot be treated as an ordinary or solitary offence of cheating or cyber crimeWe 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 extortionrobbery of innocent people most importantly the senior citizens the bench saidIt sought assistance of the Attorney General and directed the Haryana government and Ambala cyber crime department to file a status report on the probe done so far in the case of a senior citizen coupleThe matter was brought to the courts 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 transactionsThe woman said the court orders were shown through multiple audio and video calls by people impersonating as CBI ED and judicial officers to arrest themThe top court was informed that two FIRs were lodged with the cyber crime department at Ambala under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitya BNSThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever