Legal News for June 2026

CJI raises concern over rising ‘digital arrest’ scams

Justice Surya Kant expressed concern over the growing number of “digital arrest” scams, observing that even highly educated individuals are falling victim to fraudsters impersonating police officers and judicial officials through video calls.

The Chief Justice shared a recent case involving a woman known to him in an official capacity who reportedly lost her entire post-retirement savings after being deceived by scammers. He noted that such incidents highlight the increasing sophistication of cyber frauds and the emotional distress caused to victims.

The remarks came during proceedings where Attorney General R Venkataramani sought additional time to file a status report on measures being taken to tackle digital arrest scams.

The Supreme Court had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the issue and directed that related cases across states be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.