New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed grave concern over the “digital arrest” of a senior citizen couple in Haryana’s Ambala, carried out by fraudsters using forged court and agency orders to extort ₹1.05 crore.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, while hearing the matter suo motu, sought responses from the Centre and the CBI, noting the alarming rise in such digital arrest incidents nationwide. The case came to light after a 73-year-old woman wrote to Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai.
The bench observed that the forgery of Supreme Court and High Court orders, including fake judicial signatures used to detain citizens—especially senior citizens—undermines public faith in the judiciary.
“The fabrication of judicial orders bearing forged signatures of judges strikes at the very foundation of public trust in the judicial system and the rule of law. Such acts are a direct assault on the dignity of the institution,” the court remarked.
The judges further stated that such grave crimes cannot be dismissed as mere cases of cheating or cyber fraud.
Citing multiple media reports of similar scams across the country, the bench emphasized the need for “coordinated action between central and state police agencies” to uncover the full extent of these criminal networks engaged in forging judicial documents and extorting innocent people, particularly the elderly.
The court also sought the assistance of the Attorney General and directed the Haryana government and Ambala cyber crime unit to submit a detailed status report on the ongoing investigation.
According to the complainant, the fraudsters used forged judicial orders—complete with fake seals and stamps—to place the couple under purported “arrest and surveillance” between September 3 and 16, defrauding them of over ₹1 crore through multiple bank transactions. The scamsters allegedly posed as CBI and ED officials, showing the fake orders via audio and video calls.
The top court was informed that two FIRs have been registered by the Ambala Cyber Crime Department under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
