The Supreme Court on Monday promised to deal with the digital arrest cases with an iron hand, while expressing shock that scammers have defrauded people of Rs 3,000 crore in India alone.
“It is shocking that almost Rs 3,000 crore have been collected from the victims in our country alone. We do not know much at the global level,” Justice Surya Kant presiding over a three-judge bench said after perusing a report submitted by the Centre in sealed cover.
The bench, also comprising Justices Ujjal Bhuyan and Joymalya Bagchi, which perused the report said “it’s a very big challenge. It’s more than what we even thought of”. “Yes, it’s beyond our comprehension,” said Solicitor General Tushar Mehta.
“Some of the issues which you highlighted are important. We will issue appropriate directions,” said Justice Kant.
In the last hearing, Mehta had pointed out that agencies have identified “three pillars” in respect of the scam — “financial, technical and human”. On Monday, referring to this, Justice Kant said “all this is very very shocking”. “We have to strengthen the hands of our agencies through judicial orders and provide all logistics. If not, the problem will magnify. Therefore, we are determined to deal with it with iron hands,” the CJI-designate added.
The SG said that the saddest part is that most of the victims are elderly people.
Taking suo motu cognisance of a written complaint by a senior citizen couple from Ambala in Haryana, the SC had on October 17 sought the response of the Home Ministry and CBI in the matter. The couple had said that they were defrauded of Rs 1.05 crore by digital arrest scammers who allegedly threatened them with forged orders of the Supreme Court, Bombay High Court and Enforcement Directorate.
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SC has proposed transferring all such cases from the different states to the CBI and has asked them to submit details of the cases registered in their respective jurisdictions to the court.
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