New Delhi, September 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has intensified its crackdown on organised syndicates involved in digital arrest fraud, conducting coordinated searches at 89 locations across 20 states under Operation Chakra-VI, the agency said on Friday.
The nationwide operation also resulted in the arrest of three accused in Haryana and Kolkata for their alleged involvement in receiving, layering and dispersing proceeds generated through the frauds.
The CBI has taken over several cases of digital arrest fraud registered in different states. As part of the latest action, investigators conducted extensive searches in three cases after analysing financial transactions, technical data, bank accounts, online account access records and other digital trails to trace the movement of the defrauded money and identify handlers and beneficiaries.
One of the cases concerns a victim associated with BITS Pilani who was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months and cheated of Rs 7.67 crore by individuals posing as police officers.
In a Gujarat case, another victim was allegedly subjected to digital detention for three months by persons impersonating police officers and defrauded of Rs 19.24 crore. A third case, registered in Karnataka, involves a victim who was allegedly kept under digital arrest for one month and cheated of Rs 15.45 crore.
During the searches, the CBI seized banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other material considered important to the investigation. The agency said the seized evidence is being subjected to forensic examination to establish the wider financial and technological infrastructure used by the syndicates to operate across state borders.
The three arrested accused have allegedly been identified as Akash of Haryana, Raja Karmakar of Kolkata and Jyoti Rani.
According to the CBI, Akash allegedly received Rs 1.95 crore of the defrauded money in his bank account. Investigators found that he had opened the account himself and transferred the funds to other accounts on the same day, indicating his alleged role in laundering the proceeds.
Raja Karmakar allegedly received Rs 1.5 crore in fraud proceeds in his firm’s account. Jyoti Rani allegedly received part of the defrauded money, withdrew some of it in cash and transferred the remaining amount to other accounts to conceal its trail, the agency said.
Digital arrest fraud typically involves cyber criminals impersonating police officers, government officials or other law-enforcement personnel and intimidating victims into transferring large sums of money.
The CBI said the Supreme Court has directed it to take concerted action against perpetrators as well as the wider networks facilitating such crimes. Efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicates, while further investigation is underway.
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