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SC Mandates SOPs to Curb Digital Arrests, Orders Time-Bound Refunds via I4C-RBI Portal

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCBankingSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains MediumStatic GK Link
04 Aug 2026
~2 min
Source: The Hindu
Key Data:Complaints 2024: 1,23,672Complaints 2025: 58,249Complaints June 2026: 16,377Money restored: ₹18.05 croreCases restored: 36,290Branches covered: 1,23,590
Bodies:Supreme CourtMinistry of Home AffairsIndian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C)Reserve Bank of IndiaRBI Innovation HubCBI
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.SC directs Centre, States, RBI, and telecom authorities to prepare SOPs to curb digital arrest scams and operationalise grievance redressal, zero FIR, and time-bound refund mechanisms.

2.I4C status report shows complaints against digital arrests reduced from 1,23,672 (2024) to 58,249 (2025) and further to 16,377 (by June 30, 2026).

3.RBI-I4C MoU (May 11, 2026) enables data sharing; money restoration portal covers 1,23,590 branches of 69 banks, restoring ₹18.05 crore in 36,290 cases.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · Medium

The Supreme Court has directed the Centre, States, RBI, and telecom authorities to implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) to combat 'digital arrest' scams. The order mandates time-bound grievance redressal, zero FIR registration, and money restoration mechanisms. The I4C report shows a 86% reduction in complaints from 2024 to June 2026.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Digital Arrest Complaints (2024)1,23,672
Digital Arrest Complaints (2025)58,249
Digital Arrest Complaints (June 2026)16,377
Money Restored (Total)₹18.05 crore
Cases with Restoration Completed36,290
Branches Covered by Portal1,23,590 (69 banks)
States with e-Zero FIR Functional19
States that Notified Cyber Crime Coordination Centres14
CBI Cases Registered (Digital Arrest)10
CBI Investigation: Victims Identified238
CBI Investigation: Transaction Amount~₹80 crore
CBI Searches Conducted93 locations across 16 States

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Digital Arrest Complaints (2024): 1,23,672
  • ›Digital Arrest Complaints (2025): 58,249
  • ›Target this Data: Complaints reduced from 1,23,672 (2024) to 58,249 (2025) to 16,377 (by June 30, 2026).
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • ›Target this Legal Point: SC directive for SOPs, zero FIR, and time-bound refunds; RBI-I4C MoU on May 11, 2026.

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Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which ministry/department is primarily responsible for the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) mentioned in the Supreme Court order?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements:

1. The Supreme Court directed the Centre, States, RBI, and telecom authorities to prepare SOPs to curb digital arrest scams.

2. The e-Zero FIR mechanism is currently functional in all 36 States and Union Territories.

3. The RBI-I4C data-sharing MoU was executed on May 11, 2026.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the I4C status report, how many complaints about digital arrests were recorded during the period ending June 30, 2026?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary objective of the Supreme Court's directive regarding standard operating procedures for digital arrests?

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