Date : – 17.10.2025
Case Title : – JANE KAUSHIK vs UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.
Citation : – W.P.(C) No. 1405/2023
Hon’ble Supreme Court Bench : – Justice Surya Kant & Justice Joymalya Bagchi
The Hon’ble Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of rising cases of “digital arrest” scams, where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement agencies or judicial authorities to extort money from citizens, particularly senior citizens.
The action came after a 73-year-old woman from Ambala, Haryana, complained that she was trapped in a “digital arrest” and cheated of more than Rs. 1 crore by scammers. The woman said the fraudsters showed her fake documents claiming to be Supreme Court orders, even carrying forged signatures of former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna.
The Hon’ble Court has started proceedings titled “In Re: Victims of Digital Arrest Related to Forged Documents.”
The Hon’ble Court said forging judicial documents and misusing the Supreme Court’s name is a grave offence that attacks the dignity of the entire judicial system. Such acts destroy public trust in the judiciary and cannot be treated as ordinary cyber fraud or cheating cases.
The Hon’ble Court highlighted that coordinated efforts between the central and state police are needed to uncover the full network behind such scams, which are targeting innocent citizens, especially senior citizens. The Hon’ble Court has issued notices to the Union Home Ministry, the CBI Director, the Haryana Home Department, and the Cyber Crime Superintendent of Police at Ambala. The Court has also asked the Attorney General of India to assist in this matter.
