The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on individuals accused of cyber-enabled investment frauds, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant describing such offenders as “parasites” who prey on unsuspecting members of the public for financial gain.
A Bench comprising CJI Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohana was hearing a writ petition filed by Manoj Kumar Singh against the State of Bihar and other authorities. The Court, however, declined to entertain the plea and dismissed it at the very outset, directing the petitioner to seek appropriate remedies before the concerned High Court.
During the hearing, the Bench made strong remarks about the growing menace of cyber fraud and the nationwide impact of such offences.
“You all are parasites. You take money from investors and dupe them. We have to be harsh on cyber criminals. Society’s interest is only that you are behind bars. Such crimes are always pan-India. Take money from someone in Gujarat, then Mumbai, and so on,” the Court observed.
Finding no grounds to invoke its jurisdiction in the matter, the Bench refused to proceed further with the petition.
The Court’s observations are consistent with its recent approach towards cybercrime, particularly large-scale financial scams carried out through digital platforms.
In November last year, a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant had passed an extraordinary order restricting courts from granting bail to a group accused of orchestrating a “digital arrest” scam that allegedly cheated a 72-year-old advocate of ₹3.29 crore. The Bench had noted that the circumstances warranted exceptional judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court has also been closely monitoring the broader challenge posed by cyber frauds through a suo motu case initiated in October 2025. The proceedings stemmed from a complaint by a 73-year-old woman from Ambala, Haryana, who alleged that fraudsters posed as officials and used fabricated Supreme Court documents to place her under a so-called “digital arrest,” ultimately extracting more than ₹1 crore from her.
Subsequently, in December 2025, a Bench headed by CJI Surya Kant directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to lead a coordinated nationwide probe into digital arrest scams. The Court highlighted how fraudsters impersonate police officers, investigative agencies and judicial authorities to intimidate victims into transferring money.
To facilitate a seamless investigation across state boundaries, the Court also instructed Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Haryana to extend consent for CBI investigations and ensure that jurisdictional hurdles do not obstruct action against organised cybercrime networks.
