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To address the menace of digital arrests in the country, the top court also directed all states to file details of FIRs registered with respect to these digital arrest scams.
The Supreme Court is also mulling handing over such probes to the CBI and asked the solicitor general if the CBI has resources to handle all such cases across the country. (IMAGE: PTI)
The Supreme Court, in a bid to clamp down on the growing menace of digital arrest scams, said on Monday that it will continue to monitor the issue of so-called “digital arrests” — a growing cybercrime trend where scammers posing as police or government officials extort money from victims through video calls.
The top court said it will continue to monitor the issue of digital arrests, indicating that such cases could be sent for investigation to central agencies.
It has also asked all states and Union Territories to furnish details of cybercrime cases registered in connection with digital arrests.
A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi observed that a uniform investigation across India may be necessary and hinted that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could take over such probes. The judges, however, said they would not issue any directions without first hearing the states.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the CBI was already handling a few such cases with help from the cybercrime division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Bench then asked Mehta to assess whether the agency has the capacity and resources to manage all cases nationwide.
The judges pointed out that similar challenges had arisen in past large-scale financial frauds, such as Ponzi schemes, where the sheer volume of cases had overwhelmed the CBI.
The court, which took up the issue on its own on October 17, said it aims to ensure that investigations into digital arrest scams are consistent across states. Notices have now been issued to all states to provide information on the cases registered so far.
The number of digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes in the country almost tripled between 2022 and 2024, with defrauded amounts skyrocketing by 21 times during the period, the government told the Parliament in March.
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, while answering a question raised in Rajya Sabha, furnished data of digital arrest scams and related cybercrimes reported on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) in the last three years, which showed 39,925 such incidents being reported in 2022 with a total defrauded amount of Rs 91.14 crore.
In 2024, the number of such cases almost tripled to 1,23,672, with the total defrauded amount reported on the portal increasing by a staggering 21 times to Rs 19,35.51 crore, the data showed.
According to the data, within two months of 2025, 17,718 cases with a total defrauded amount of Rs 210.21 crore have been reported till February 28.
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over seven years of experience during which he has covered se… Read More
October 27, 2025, 12:13 IST
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