The central government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it intends to present legislation during the current parliamentary session to treat digital arrests and AI-generated deepfakes as specific criminal offences, according to a Times of India report. This follows observations by the court that current laws lack provisions for these particular crimes. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the new law would establish AI deepfakes as a distinct offence carrying defined penalties. During suo motu hearings on digital arrest frauds, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana noted the absence of targeted penal measures despite strict judicial responses including bail denials. The bench suggested that digital arrest should be formally defined in law and questioned whether standalone offences with strict penalties, including asset freezes, should be created given elements of extortion and organised crime. Justice Bagchi emphasised that defining and enforcing new criminal laws remains the government’s responsibility and noted limitations under Article 142 in creating offences. Mehta confirmed consultations with the Centre and plans for introduction in the ongoing session. Attorney General R. Venkataramani reported that an inter-departmental committee has reduced such incidents through coordinated efforts while identifying further gaps. The court also directed the CBI to probe digital arrest cases nationwide. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing WhatsApp, stated the platform is cooperating with authorities to prevent misuse.
