Supreme Court calls digital arrest scams 'digital dacoity', says offenders must be dealt with ruthlessly

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday described digital arrest scams as "digital dacoity" and said those involved in such offences must be dealt with in the most ruthless manner, stressing that all legally permissible measures to punish the perpetrators must be explored.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, expressed grave concern over the growing menace of digital frauds in which victims are allegedly intimidated through video calls and coerced into transferring money to fraudsters impersonating law enforcement officials or other government authorities.

"Extortion is the simplest offence. This (digital arrest scams), in our considered opinion, is digital dacoity. You do it through video calls," CJI Kant observed orally.


Describing those involved in such scams as "ruthless criminals", CJI Kant underscored the need for a stringent response against individuals who exploit technology to threaten, intimidate and defraud unsuspecting citizens. "They must be dealt with in the most ruthless manner. If the law has any scope to punish them before trial, that must also be adopted," CJI added.

The observations underline the court's concern over the organised nature of digital arrest frauds, in which victims are allegedly subjected to sustained threats and psychological pressure, sometimes under the pretext of being implicated in criminal cases. Such scams have caused substantial financial losses, with victims being persuaded to transfer their savings to accounts controlled by the accused.