New Delhi [India], April 20 : The Supreme Court on Monday expressed shock that well-educated people continue to fall prey to digital arrest scams.
The Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant, also said that he got a complaint from a lady, who is known to him in an official capacity, that she lost all her post-retirement benefits in a digital arrest scam.
"She was crying, she lost all her savings," CJI said when Attorney General for India R Venkataramani mentioned the suo motu case taken on the issue, seeking adjournment from the listed date on the ground that inter-departmental meetings are going on.
The apex court posted the matter for hearing on May 12.
Senior advocate NS Nappinai, the amicus curiae who is assisting the bench in the matter, said that victims often freeze when confronted with threatening calls from fraudsters posing as authorities, making it difficult for them to respond rationally.
The advocate said that in such situations, technological safeguards by intermediaries could help prevent irreversible financial losses.
Last year, the apex court took suo moto cognisance of incidents of digital arrest scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement agencies or judicial authorities to extort money from citizens, particularly senior citizens.
The top court had, on a previous hearing, observed that the fabrication of judicial orders bearing forged signatures of the judges strikes at the very foundation of the public trust in the judicial system, besides the rule of law. It had said such action constituted "direct assault" on the dignity of the institution.
The bench was earlier told that nearly Rs 3000 crore has been swindled by fraudsters through such scam arrests.
The apex court had said that coordinated efforts between the central and state police are required to unearth the full extent of the enterprise involving forging judicial documents, extortion, robbery of innocent people, most importantly, the senior citizens.
The bench took suo moto cognisance on a complaint to the apex court by a senior citizen couple who have been defrauded of their life savings through a digital arrest scam last week.
The 73-year-old woman from Ambala alleged that scammers used forged Supreme Court orders to confine her in a digital arrest and extort more than Rs 1 crore.
She had claimed that the fraudsters produced a fake order purportedly issued by the Supreme Court judge.
The apex court had issued notice to the Union of India through the Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the CBI through its Director, Principal Secretary Department of Home, and SP Cyber Crime at Ambala. It also asked the Haryana government and SP cyber-crime Ambala to file the status report of the investigation taken place so far. It had also sought the assistance of the Attorney General for India on the issue.