Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Monday (April 20, 2026) flagged digital arrest scams as the “most disturbing” and lethal among cyber crimes which not only result in merely financial loss to victims but also a “blistering sense of violation”.
The CJI said such cyber crimes must not be seen as mere economic offences but an offence against human dignity.
“Victims frequently speak of embarrassment, hesitation, and even repression. Many do not report the offence, fearing stigma or disbelief. In doing so, the crime achieves a second, more insidious effect: it completely isolates the victim,” Chief Justice Kant said, as he delivered the 22nd D.P. Kohli Memorial Lecture, organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on ‘Challenges of Cyber Crime: Role of Police and Judiciary’.
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Noting that his Bench was suo motu in cognisance of digital arrest scams, the Chief Justice said the worst thing about the crime was that individuals were psychologically coerced into compliance through fabricated claims of legal authority.
