In a judgment that will serve as a strong deterrent for the rising digital arrest cases, a sub-divisional court in the West Bengal’s Kalyani has carried out first conviction in a digital arrest case in India. The court has convicted Md Imtiyaz Ansari, 40, Shahid Ali Shaikh, 25, Shahrukh Rafik Shaikh, 29, Jatin Anup Ladwal, 23, Rohit Singh, 20, Rupesh Yadav, 23, Sahil Singh, 26, Pathan Sumaiya Banu, 30, and Faldu Ashoke, 35. These individuals hail from Maharashtra, Haryana and Gujarat.
What happened in this Cyber Con Case?
In this case, a retired professor was defrauded of Rs 1.1 crore in this digital arrest scam. Additional district and sessions judge Subherthi Sarkar found the accused guilty under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, including charges of cheating, forgery, and impersonation. The court is likely to pronounce the sentence on July 18, 2025.
What is the digital arrest scam?
Digital arrest refers to a cyber scam where scamsters act as police officers, government officers or the cybercrime officers to defraud the victims of their hard-earned earnings. In many cases, these scamsters had played on the fears of the victims and successfully extorted money from them. Victims find themselves helpless due to the legal action involved with the digital arrest scam and are manipulated to part with their money. A common tactic of the criminals associated with this crime is that they ask the victims to transfer money while keeping their camera and microphone on. The cyber fraudsters do this so that the victims can be isolated and they have no one to consult with.
How law enforcement agencies have been trying to make people aware about the digital arrest scam?
Keeping the rising number of such cases in mind, the authorities have taken adequate steps to make people aware of the digital arrest scam and protect themselves from it. According to a Press Information Bureau’s press release,
1. The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C). It is an attached office to deal with all types of cyber-crimes in India in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
2. The Central Government has also initiated a comprehensive awareness programme on digital arrest scams. Under this programme, newspaper advertisements, announcement in Delhi Metros and use of social media influencers to create special posts are being done to make people aware of the digital arrest scams.
3. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about digital arrests during the episode “Mann Ki Baat” on 27th December, 2024 and apprised the Indian citizens.
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