SRINAGAR: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against the owner of a firm from Pulwama in Kashmir and a Deputy Manager of Axis Bank in connection with a Rs 1.6 crore digital arrest fraud case involving a senior citizen in Delhi.
The CBI said the accused included the owner of a private firm whose current account was allegedly used to receive proceeds of the digital arrest fraud, while part of the crime proceeds was allegedly paid to the bank officer for facilitating the siphoning of funds.
The case relates to the alleged defrauding of a senior citizen of Rs 1.6 crore by criminals posing as law enforcement and judicial authorities. The victim was allegedly subjected to video calls and coerced into transferring the money.
The Supreme Court transferred the case from the Delhi Police to the CBI, following which the agency registered the case in January 2026. The CBI subsequently arrested the accused linked to the private firm.
According to the agency, its investigation has so far established the involvement of a transnational organised gang based in South-East Asia in the alleged digital arrest fraud.
The chargesheet has been filed for offences relating to criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property, cheating and use of forged documents under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused have also been charged under provisions of the Information Technology Act concerning cheating and impersonation using computer resources, besides offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act relating to bribery.
The CBI said it would continue to take stringent legal action against individuals and entities facilitating cybercrime through the misuse of banking and telecommunications infrastructure.
The agency has cautioned people against digital arrest scams, stressing that there is no legal concept of a “digital arrest”. It advised citizens not to panic or comply with demands made during such calls.
The public has also been advised to remain alert against fraudulent investment schemes and calls involving impersonation of law enforcement or regulatory authorities, and to report suspicious activity to the appropriate authorities or through the cybercrime portal.
