The Supreme Court on Monday voiced deep concern over the rapid rise in cybercrimes that have reportedly led to the extortion of more than Rs 3,000 crore from citizens, including elderly victims.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant, Ujjal Bhuyan and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a suo motu case on the growing threat of “digital arrest” scams. In these scams, fraudsters pose as police or judicial officers and use forged court documents to intimidate victims into paying large sums of money.
During the hearing, the bench led by Justice Surya Kant was informed that several of these organised criminal syndicates operate both within India and from foreign locations. According to sealed reports submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the networks behind these scams are often based in countries such as Myanmar and Thailand.
Expressing strong concern over the magnitude of the crime, the apex court stated, “It is shocking that over Rs 3,000 crore have been collected from the victims, including senior citizens. If we do not pass stringent and harsh orders, the problem will magnify. We are determined to deal with these crimes with iron hands.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the CBI has already launched investigations into several such cases, with technical support from the Cyber Crime Division of the MHA.
The Supreme Court also appointed an amicus curiae to assist with the case and has scheduled the next hearing for November 10.
In an earlier hearing, the bench had directed all states and Union Territories to submit details of registered First Information Reports (FIRs) related to these scams. Observing that the “digital arrest” racket appears to be widespread and possibly transnational, the court had suggested that the investigation be handled by the CBI.
“There are more than one instance that have taken place in different parts. We are inclined to entrust the matter to the CBI in respect of all the states because this is a kind of crime which may be operating pan-India, or even across the border,” the court had said.
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