Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant on Friday called for coordinated action to tackle the rise in cybercrimes, which he described as a mass scale issue, dealing huge financial losses and damage to institutional trust.
Inaugurating a three-day conference on cyber security here on Friday, the CJI spoke about the judiciary’s efforts to deal with the problem, including his own intervention in cases involving “digital arrest” scams.
“Cyber safety is at the heart of justice conversation,” he said.
“In the digital era, harm can travel at the speed of light, and simple discipline becomes a form of protection. Cyber safety at its core is nothing but the modern expression of old wisdom — Think before you speak and understand before you act,” he said.
He suggested one acts with awareness, protects with care, and never assumes that familiar is necessarily safe.
He said more than 66 lakh cyber fraud complaints are pending across the country, which makes it a widespread problem that requires global attention due to its borderless nature.
He said that every alternate day, he finds out a new site created in his name and is used to send messages.
“One day, my sister and my daughter received a message from the site created in my name. It was found later that all those sites are being generated from Nigeria. This is the complexity of the problem,” he said.
On digital arrest frauds, the judge said that he took a suo motu cognisance of a complaint of an elderly couple who lost their lifelong savings to cyber fraud.
“Whatever role the judiciary can play in getting this menace out of this country, we will leave no stone unturned,” he said.
Justice Surya Kant said that cybercrime creates a fundamental barrier to justice, affecting people’s dignity, livelihood and access.
“When an ordinary citizen loses lifelong savings to a scam, the injury is not only financial, it is emotional, social and institutional. When a deep fake video destroys a person’s reputation, the harm is not merely online; it touches one’s dignity and livelihood,” he said.
The jurist recognised the benefits of the digital revolution but pointed to the risks of misuse.
He said the governments are providing benefits to people using digital means and are being used, but the only concern about technology is to control it when it becomes an unruly force.
“Cyber safety is not about just protecting bank accounts; it is about preserving institutional trust. Without trust, even the most sophisticated justice system weakens,” he said.
On artificial intelligence, the CJI said he supports its use in the justice system to the extent it aids speedy and affordable disposal of cases, and it must remain human-centred.
“AI can be a game changer… There is a dire need to cultivate ethical restraint, regulations must be agile, and institutions must be vigilant. Technology should assist justice, it should not replace justice,” he said.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma described cybercrime as a major challenge. He termed technology a double-edged sword that brings benefits but also requires constant vigilance.
He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Digital India, to claim that what was once a dream had now become reality.
“Even an ordinary vegetable seller receives payments digitally into his account. Farmers in villages are availing crop insurance benefits through digital means,” he said.
Yet, new challenges have emerged alongside these advantages.
“Everyone needs to remain alert. Many people fall into cyber traps due to greed. There is a need for awareness,” he added.
The chief minister said his government will establish special cyber courts, he said.
The three-day conference is being organised by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RALSA).
Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma, acting Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court, said the Rajasthan government has always been at the forefront of improving court infrastructure.
RALSA Executive Chairman Justice Pushpendra Bhati raised concerns over repeated bomb threats in courts.
He said that multiple threats have been received by the high court.
“We have to vacate the building because this is the security protocol, which we cannot break under any circumstances,” he added.
He said that the emails are coming from dummy servers, and it is very difficult to catch the culprits.
