CBI to probe two ‘digital arrests’ worth Rs 31 crore

New Delhi: In a major move, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over two cases of mass “digital arrests” reported in Gujarat last year. The financial losses in these cases – the victims, all elderly, amounted to Rs 192 million and Rs 114 million respectively – are among the largest amounts misappropriated in such scams.Officials said fresh FIRs have now been filed in the two cases by the CBI’s economic crimes wing, which will be headed by a dedicated investigation unit to trace the flow of funds and nab the masterminds. Last year, the SC directed the CBI to launch a larger probe into the “digital arrest” case.In first case, Gujarat doctor lost Rs 19 crore; second, Rs 11 croreThe first case dates back to March 2025, where a 74-year-old woman from Gandhinagar, a retired doctor, was defrauded of over Rs 19.2 crore through an elaborate scam. On March 15, a group of scammers pretending to be employees of the telecommunications department, police officers and prosecutors called her and led her to believe that she was involved in a money laundering investigation.The scammers kept the woman under constant surveillance through video calls and forced her to liquidate all her assets, including destroying her FD, selling her house and gold, and selling her stocks. They provided forged “financial regulatory” certificates on forged ED letterhead to authorize transfers. The digital arrest lasted until July 16 and the woman was told her money would be returned after “verification”. When this did not happen, she lodged a complaint and an FIR was lodged based on the complaint.In the second case, fraudsters targeted a retired professor living in Ahmedabad on June 10, 2025, posing as Trai officials and police, claiming that her Aadhaar details were related to criminal activities. After asking her for daily updates, they directed her to speak to her husband on August 1.The scammers threatened the couple to transfer up to Rs 11.4 crore from their account.