Summary of this article
· Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of digital arrest fraud case
· Elderly couple lost Rs 1 crore to impersonating scammers
· Fraudsters used forged judicial documents
The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance (the Court took notice of the matter without any request by the parties involved) of a digital arrest matter involving an elderly couple. The senior citizen couple in Haryana made a complaint on September 21, 2025, about the scam in which they were the victims and ended up losing their life savings of Rs 1 crore to fraudsters.
The Court held, “The instant case is not a solitary instance. It has been reported many times in responsible media reports that such occurrences have happened in the past in different parts of the country. We are, therefore, of the prima facie view that a stern action on Pan India basis with coordinated efforts between the Central and State Police are required to unearth the full extent of this criminal enterprise involving forgery of judicial documents, cyber extortion, and cyber arrest of the innocent people, especially the senior citizens.”
The matter pertains to a senior citizen couple who fell victim to the trick of fraudsters who impersonated as the central bureau investigation (CBI) and enforcement directorate (ED) officials, to digital arrest the elderly through audio and video calls.
To make the elderly believe that they were actually under surveillance of the government officials, fraudsters showed them forged orders of the Supreme Court through video conferencing and WhatsApp calls.
Ploying the tricks, fraudsters coerced the elderly to transfer over Rs 1 crore (Rs 1,05,50,000) to their account in multiple transactions between September 3, 2025, and September 16, 2025.
Forged Judicial Order And Signature
The Court was “aghast” to know that fraudsters had fabricated judicial orders in the name of the Supreme Court, the highest judicial authority in India. They have also used other documents, including a freeze order, arrest order, and surveillance order with a forged stamp and forged signature.
The Court found the forged signature of judges on the forged orders is not only against the law but also a threat to the “Very foundation of public trust in the judicial system”, per a report by Verdictum. Conferring these as a direct assault on the “dignity and majesty” of the institution, the Court said that such crimes should not be treated as ordinary offences of cybercrime or cheating. The Court held, “The forgery of documents and the brazen criminal misuse of the name, seal, and judicial authority of this Court or a High Court is a matter of grave concern.”
Notice To The Government And Authorities
The apex Court issued notice to the Union of India, CBI, State of Haryana, and Superintendent of Police, Cyber Crime, Ambala. It directed the Attorney General of India to assist the Court.
The progress on the matter will be heard on October 27, 2025.