The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the alarming rise in cases of scammers using so-called ‘digital arrests’ to extort money from citizens — particularly senior citizens — after a 73-year-old woman from Ambala alleged that conmen forged a Supreme Court order to cheat her of over ₹1 crore.

According to her complaint addressed to Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai, the fraudsters produced a fake order purportedly issued by former CJI Sanjiv Khanna, claiming it authorised her “digital arrest.” They allegedly used the forged document to threaten and coerce her into transferring more than ₹1 crore to secure her release.

The shocking revelation prompted the Supreme Court to initiate suo motu proceedings titled “In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents.”

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi is scheduled to hear the case on Friday, and will examine whether state police forces are adequately equipped to handle the growing menace or whether it should be entrusted to central agencies for a nationwide probe.

SC expresses concern over ‘audacity’ of scammers

Sources said the CJI and senior judges expressed serious concern over the forgery of Supreme Court orders, calling it an attack on the integrity of the judicial system. The bench is also expected to consider whether the ongoing investigations should be placed under judicial monitoring to ensure speed and accountability, given the vulnerability of victims and the cross-border nature of the crime.

‘Digital arrest’: a growing cyber fraud trend

The so-called digital arrest scam involves fraudsters posing as police, customs, or cybercrime officials who threaten victims with fabricated criminal charges. They often use video calls, fake government IDs, and even doctored court orders to confine victims virtually — making them stay on video “under arrest” until they pay money for “bail” or “settlement.”

Official data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) highlights the sharp rise in such cases.

  • Between January and August 2024, 2,746 incidents were reported.
  • The number nearly doubled to 4,439 during the same period in 2025.

Government agencies have since blocked over 1,700 Skype IDs and 59,000 WhatsApp accounts linked to these scams. Despite this, scammers have allegedly extorted nearly ₹25 billion from citizens across India.

Awareness and action

Authorities have launched public awareness campaigns advising people to ignore threats of “digital arrest” and immediately report such cases to their local police or cybercrime units.

The Supreme Court’s intervention is expected to set a legal precedent on handling digital extortion rackets that exploit technology and impersonate judicial institutions.