The Union government has taken swift action to address the growing threat of digital arrest scams by setting up a high level inter departmental committee. The move follows widespread reports of citizens, especially elderly and vulnerable people, losing thousands of crores of rupees to such frauds.
In a status report submitted to the Supreme Court, the government said the committee is chaired by the Special Secretary Internal Security in the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was formed on December 26, 2025, to “comprehensively examine all facets of the issue of digital arrests”. The panel has already held several meetings, including the latest one attended by representatives of online platforms such as Google, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Microsoft.
The court is scheduled to hear the matter on January 13. The government also informed the bench that it has received key inputs from the Department of Telecom and the Reserve Bank of India to strengthen its response to these scams.
The committee includes senior officials at the level of Joint Secretary and above from several ministries and agencies. These include the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Department of Telecom, Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, RBI, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Delhi Police, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. The chief executive officer of the coordination centre serves as the member secretary. The Attorney General will attend meetings regularly.
The panel was set up after the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, ordered coordinated consultations under the guidance of the Attorney General. The court has been hearing cases that highlight the scale of the problem, including one involving a senior woman lawyer whose entire life savings were stolen by scammers posing as police officers.
The government said the committee will guide enforcement agencies on real time issues, identify gaps in laws and rules, suggest corrective steps, and provide inputs for future directions from the court. It has already met three times and plans to meet regularly to “ensure time bound and coordinated compliance”.
The Centre has sought at least a month to submit a consolidated report. Earlier, the court had given the CBI a free hand to act against digital arrest scams and probe bankers linked to mule accounts. Official data shows that ₹3000 crore has already been lost to these frauds.
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