Mumbai – The Mumbai Cyber Police have arrested a suspect from Surat, Gujarat, in connection with a sophisticated “digital arrest” scheme that defrauded a 68-year-old Andheri West resident of Rs 3.71 crore. The elaborate scam involved fraudsters impersonating police officers and even staging a fake Supreme Court hearing with an imposter posing as “Justice Chandrachud.”
The victim’s ordeal reportedly began on August 18 when she received a call from individuals claiming to be from the Colaba police station. The callers alleged that her bank accounts were being used for money laundering and placed her under “digital arrest,” a tactic where victims are forced to remain on constant video surveillance. To add credibility to their threats, the fraudsters claimed the investigation was being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). One scammer, posing as an officer named “SK Jaiswal,” manipulated the senior citizen psychologically, even making her write a multi-page essay on her life before promising to help secure her bail.
The fraud escalated when the perpetrators arranged a staged video conference, presenting a man pretending to be Justice Chandrachud. During this fake hearing, the victim was ordered to submit her investment details for “verification.” trusting the imposters, she liquidated her savings and transferred approximately Rs 3.75 crore into various bank accounts between August and October. It was only after the transfers were complete and the criminals ceased communication that she realized she had been cheated.
Following a complaint lodged at the West Region Cyber Police Station under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, investigators tracked the money trail. The probe led them to a “mule” account in Surat disguised as a cloth trading business. The arrested suspect had reportedly allowed his account to be used to park Rs 1.71 crore of the stolen funds, earning a commission of Rs 6.40 lakh for his role. Police revealed that the suspect provided information on two alleged masterminds of the racket who are currently believed to be operating from abroad.
This incident underscores the growing menace of “digital arrest” crimes, where fraudsters intimidate victims by posing as law enforcement or government officials. Recognizing the severity of the issue, the Supreme Court recently directed the CBI on December 1 to conduct a unified pan-India investigation into such cases to curb the rising tide of cyber-extortion.
