Supreme Court entrusts CBI with pan-India probe into digital arrest cases

Why in news

The Supreme Court directed the CBI to conduct a pan-India probe into digital arrest scams and questioned the RBI on its lack of AI integration for freezing accounts used by cyber criminals.

Background

The Supreme Court ordered a unified probe into digital arrest scams, which have allegedly resulted in over ₹3,000 crore in extortions. The court also directed IT intermediaries to cooperate and urged telecom providers to prevent multiple SIM card usage.

Facts for Prelims

• BodyCBI: Central Bureau of Investigation, tasked with the pan-India probe into digital arrest scams.
• BodyRBI: Reserve Bank of India, requested by the Court to explain the non-utilization of AI for freezing cyber-criminal bank accounts.
• FactThe court noted that digital arrest scams have reportedly resulted in over ₹3,000 crore in alleged extortions.
• PostSupreme Court: Directed states to grant assent to the CBI for probing these cases in their respective jurisdictions.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the systemic vulnerabilities in India's digital payment infrastructure that facilitate cyber-extortion and suggest measures to enhance technological safeguards.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

• Regulatory gap: Lack of mandatory AI-driven real-time monitoring for suspicious high-frequency transactions in banking
• Jurisdictional friction: Challenges in inter-state cooperation and legal hurdles in granting CBI jurisdiction across state borders
• Identity verification: Vulnerabilities in telecom KYC processes allowing the use of multiple SIM cards for fraudulent activities

Keywords: Cyber-extortion · Digital Arrest · Inter-agency cooperation · Technological safeguards · Regulatory oversight

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