In a significant development for India's cybercrime jurisprudence, the Calcutta High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate a digital arrest scam in which a retired Air Force officer allegedly lost ₹1.74 crore to fraudsters posing as government officials.
The complainant, a 73-year-old resident of New Town, Kolkata, alleged that he was kept under a so-called "digital arrest" for nearly ten days and coerced into transferring his life savings to individuals claiming to be officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and law enforcement agencies.
According to the complaint, the victim initially received a call from a person claiming to be a TRAI official who warned that his mobile number would be blocked. The call was subsequently transferred to individuals posing as police officers, who allegedly threatened legal action and manipulated the victim into transferring funds.
While ordering the CBI investigation, the Calcutta High Court observed that the matter had wider implications extending beyond a single victim and involved cybercrime networks with potential interstate ramifications. The Court considered the nature and scale of the fraud sufficient to warrant investigation by a central agency.
The order comes shortly after the Supreme Court issued guidelines to combat digital arrest scams and strengthen cybercrime enforcement mechanisms across the country. The case reflects growing judicial concern over sophisticated online fraud schemes that exploit fear, impersonation, and technological deception to target vulnerable individuals.
The High Court's intervention is expected to strengthen investigative efforts against organised cybercrime syndicates and may serve as an important precedent for future digital arrest scam cases.