Shocking that well-educated people getting duped in digital arrest cases: CJI Surya Kant

Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday expressed concern over the rising menace of digital arrest scams , saying it was shocking that even well-educated people were falling prey to such cyber frauds.

The CJI made the observation while heading a bench of the Supreme Court of India along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi during the mention of a suo motu case on digital arrest frauds. Attorney General R Venkataramani informed the court that meetings had taken place among authorities and that efforts to tackle the issue were moving quickly. The bench agreed to list the matter for further hearing on May 12.

During the hearing, the CJI referred to a recent case involving an elderly woman who was allegedly duped of her entire retirement savings through such a scam, noting that he was aware of the incident in his official capacity. “Unfortunately, her entire retiral benefit has been duped,” he remarked, adding that it was disturbing that even educated individuals were falling for such tactics.

Digital arrest fraud is an emerging form of cybercrime in which fraudsters impersonate police officers, court officials or government agencies through phone or video calls, threatening victims with legal action and forcing them to transfer money.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had described the siphoning of over Rs 54,000 crore through cyber frauds as “absolute robbery or dacoity”. It directed the Centre to frame a standard operating procedure in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India , banks and the Department of Telecommunications to tackle such crimes. The court also asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to identify digital arrest cases and pursue coordinated investigations.

In a parallel effort to curb such frauds, the CBI on Monday launched an AI-powered chatbot named “Abhay” to help citizens verify the authenticity of notices claiming to be issued by the agency. The tool allows people to cross-check suspicious communications instantly, a step aimed at preventing criminals from coercing victims using fake summons or investigation notices.

The chatbot was unveiled during the D P Kohli Memorial Lecture , where the CJI delivered a lecture on the challenges of cybercrime and the role of police and the judiciary. The event also saw the conferment of medals for meritorious service, highlighting the growing focus on strengthening the country’s response to cyber-enabled frauds.