SC orders CBI probe into digital arrest scams

ASKS STATES TO ACCORD ASSENT

- OUR CORRESPONDENT

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a unified pan-India investigation into digital arrest cases and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to take charge of the probe.

The court also questioned the Reserve Bank of India on why it was not deploying Artificial Intelligence or machine learning systems to swiftly identify and freeze mule bank accounts used by online fraud networks.

Digital arrest has emerged as a prominent form of cybercrime where scammers impersonate law enforcement, courts or government agencies and coerce victims through audio and video calls.

The fraudsters intimidate individuals, often keeping them confined through constant virtual monitoring, and extract money under the threat of fabricated legal action.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed states, including West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana, to grant consent to the CBI under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act so that the agency can conduct investigations in their territories. The bench said in a written order that unified coordination is essential to pursue networks operating across state lines.

The court issued notice to the RBI and sought a clear response on why modern technology tools were not being deployed to track mule accounts, identify suspicious financial trails and block fraudulent transactions at the earliest stage. It added that the ability of banks to detect unusual activity must evolve in a landscape where cyber fraud methods are rapidly expanding.