Supreme Court Gives CBI Full Charge of Nationwide ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam Probe

The Supreme Court has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to take full charge of the 'digital arrest’ scam probe across India, treating the cyber fraud as a nationwide threat. The court said a single central investigation is needed because cases span many states and show complex methods.

The Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, said the CBI will act as the first and main agency for every case linked to the digital arrest fraud. The court allowed the CBI to register and investigate linked offences anywhere, so that no state boundary weakens action.

CBI mandate and digital arrest scam probe expansion

In a key direction, the court let the CBI use powers under the Prevention of Corruption Act to check whether any bankers helped create or run bank accounts used for these scams. The court also allowed the CBI to seek help from Interpol whenever cross-border links appear in the investigations.

The scam itself involves callers posing as police, tax, or regulatory officials, then scaring victims with fake criminal cases and forcing them into video calls or chat rooms. Victims are told they are under “digital arrest” and made to transfer large sums, with senior citizens frequently targeted.

Regulatory role of RBI in digital arrest scam

The Supreme Court added the Reserve Bank of India as a party to the suo motu case and asked for technical help from the banking regulator. The Bench asked RBI to propose time-bound plans to use Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for identifying suspicious accounts and freezing suspected crime proceeds automatically.

The court said all authorities must cooperate with CBI requests under the IT Intermediary Rules, 2021, so that information moves quickly. States that have not given general consent to the CBI were told to still permit investigations into offences under the IT Act within their borders, specifically for this scam network.

DoT, SIM control and telecom checks for digital arrest scam

The Department of Telecommunications was told to submit a detailed plan for stricter control over SIM allocation. The Supreme Court asked DoT to examine how many SIM cards can be issued under one identity and suggest measures to prevent misuse of bulk connections in cybercrime and spoof calls.

The Bench further asked state governments to speed up work on cybercrime police stations and digital forensics units, and to report any hurdles directly to the court. The judges stressed that upgraded infrastructure and trained teams are essential for tracking digital footprints and supporting CBI-led operations.

The court issued a specific operational direction for ongoing cases, stating: "Authorities must preserve mobile phone data from all devices seized in cybercrime-related FIRs. All States and Union Territories must hand over FIRs registered under the IT Act, 2021, related to the digital arrest scam, to the CBI," the court said.

The judges noted that after the court started hearing the matter on its own, many victims reported similar fraud attempts and police registered numerous FIRs in different regions. These fresh complaints, according to the Bench, highlighted how widespread the scam had become and how fast it was evolving.

CJI Surya Kant observed, "The gravity and scale of the crime can be gauged from the fact that in most states, senior citizens have been targeted by fraudsters using various methods. Every cybercrime case, especially those involving senior citizens, needs a thorough investigation. But the digital arrest scam demands immediate attention from the country's premier investigating agency."

With the CBI now in charge and coordination mechanisms ordered across banking, telecom and state police systems, the Supreme Court has placed the digital arrest scam under close national scrutiny. The Bench has listed the matter for further hearing in two weeks, when progress and new measures will be reviewed.