Uttarakhand High Court Investigates Fake Arrest Warrants Scam Involving Judges and Police

Court Takes Action Against Fraudulent Activities

The Uttarakhand High Court has deemed the issuance of fake non-bailable warrants (NBWs) in the names of state judges and police officials as a serious offense, prompting the inclusion of the Reserve Bank of India, relevant private banks, and telecom companies as parties in the case. The financial misconduct was executed through four bank accounts.

During the hearing of a petition filed by Haridwar resident Surendra Kumar, Chief Justice G. Narendra and Justice Subhash Upadhyay remarked that this scam not only deceives the public but also undermines the credibility of the judicial and police systems by misusing the names of officials.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the High Court transformed the petition into a public interest litigation. Kumar reported that he received two separate phone calls a month ago, claiming that an NBW had been issued from the court of the Additional District Judge in Dehradun, demanding an immediate deposit of ₹30,000.

To facilitate this payment, four different scanner codes labeled 'District Dehradun' were provided. According to the petitioner, he informed the Haridwar police about these fraudulent calls and scanner codes, but no action was taken.

Kumar's lawyer, Prabha Naithani, stated that the NBW allegedly issued in the name of the Additional District Judge in Dehradun is entirely fake, as there are no pending cases in any court, nor is there such a judge present in Haridwar or Dehradun.

The fraudulent NBWs were used to intimidate individuals into making digital payments via QR codes. Considering the severity of the scam, the High Court noted that private banks might be complicit, as all fraudulent accounts belong to them. The court has directed the Reserve Bank of India, the involved private banks, and telecom companies to be included in the proceedings.