SC to hear next week suo motu case concerning victims of digital arrest

The Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear next week a suo motu case concerning victims of digital arrest. Digital arrest is a growing form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement officers, court officials or personnel from government agencies to intimidate victims through audio and video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to pay money. On February 9, the top court described the siphoning of more than Rs 54,000 crore by digital frauds as absolute "robbery or dacoity" and asked the Centre to draft a standard operating procedure (SoP) in consultation with stakeholders like the RBI, banks and the Department of Telecommunications to deal with such cases. On Monday, Attorney General R Venkataramani mentioned the matter before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. The top law officer said he would place a status report in the matter during the day. Contending that things are moving, he urged the bench to take up