Amid growing concern over cyber scams that exploit fear and impersonation, the Union government has stepped up efforts to tackle the threat of so-called “digital arrests.” The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has informed the Supreme Court that it has formed a high-level inter-departmental committee (IDC) to plug systemic gaps and provide faster, real-time protection to cybercrime victims.
The move follows directions from a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, which on December 16, 2025, ordered inter-ministerial consultations under the guidance of Attorney General R Venkataramani. The court also asked to be updated on progress and directed that recommendations from the court-appointed amicus curiae be reviewed along with earlier directions issued on December 1.
In a status report submitted on January 12, the MHA outlined a coordinated, multi-agency crackdown involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and key IT ministries. The effort targets transnational cybercrime syndicates that use forged documents and “digital arrest” tactics to defraud citizens.
As part of this action, the CBI has taken over a high-profile fraud case in Delhi involving a 76-year-old widowed pensioner who was allegedly cheated of Rs 1.64 crore. The agency told the court that such crimes are typically run by organised international networks and confirmed it is using INTERPOL channels to dismantle overseas modules.
The IDC has been set up under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary (Internal Security). Its members include joint secretary-level officials from MeitY, DoT, RBI, Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. The committee is tasked with identifying legal gaps, suggesting fixes, and ensuring time-bound compliance by banks and telecom operators.
The DoT reported that around 1.35 crore spoofed calls were blocked in October 2024 through the Central International Out Roamer system, bringing current volumes down to about 1.5 lakh calls. It is also finalising rules under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, covering SIM issuance, the 9-SIM limit, and misuse of SIM boxes.
The RBI said 23 banks have deployed “MuleHunter AI” to detect mule accounts. The panel also discussed cooling-off periods and delays for suspicious transactions to protect the “golden hour.”
The report noted proactive freezing of funds under Section 12AA of the PMLA and plans for standard bank procedures on dormant accounts. Amicus curiae N S Nappinai suggested releasing frozen funds to victims based on portal complaints and indemnity bonds, without mandatory FIRs in all cases, and limiting video calls from unknown numbers on platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Seeking more time, the MHA told the court: “In view of the foregoing facts and circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that this Hon’ble Court may be pleased to grant a period of at least one month…” The next focus areas include strengthening adjudication under Section 46 of the IT Act and finalising a national cybercrime adjudication portal.
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