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The Supreme Court has issued fresh nationwide directions to tackle digital arrest scams, asking the RBI to frame an SOP on mule accounts within four weeks and directing states to operationalise cyber fraud grievance mechanisms and e-Zero FIRs. The court also sought a victim compensation framework, noting a sharp decline in digital arrest complaints while stressing continued vigilance.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a fresh set of nationwide directions to strengthen the institutional response against the growing menace of "digital arrest" scams, directing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on mule accounts within four weeks and asking all states and Union Territories (UTs) to operationalise cyber fraud grievance redressal and money restoration mechanisms.

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A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana passed the directions after taking on record the fourth status report filed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs, on the steps taken by various ministries, regulators, investigating agencies, telecom service providers and intermediaries pursuant to the apex court's earlier orders.

The top court also directed the Centre's Inter-Departmental Committee to examine a shared liability and victim compensation framework for victims of digital arrest scams, while asking states to notify and operationalise their State Cyber Crime Coordination Centres within four weeks and adopt the e-Zero FIR mechanism in consultation with I4C.