Maharashtra cyber police have filed a voluminous charge-sheet running into about 2,500 pages in the Rs58-crore ‘digital arrest’ scam, detailing how a network of cybercriminals used intimidation, fake legal proceedings and a maze of mule bank accounts to defraud a 72-year-old Mumbai resident of his lifetime savings.
The charge-sheet, submitted before a Mumbai court, names 32 accused who have been arrested so far, while 41 others are listed as wanted. Police have also announced rewards for information leading to the arrest of key absconders, including Vijay Khanna and Devendra Saini, both believed to have played critical roles in orchestrating the fraud.
According to investigators, the scam unfolded between August and October 2025, when fraudsters targeted the senior citizen who was a vice-president with a healthcare company. The accused allegedly posed as officials from government and law enforcement agencies, beginning with a caller impersonating a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) official who accused the victim of sending illegal messages.
The call was then escalated to another impersonator claiming to be from the Mumbai crime branch, who alleged that the victim’s bank accounts were linked to money laundering. Using fear and authority as tools, the cybercriminals informed the senior citizen that he was under ‘digital arrest’ and warned that his assets would be seized unless he fully cooperated.
To reinforce the deception, the accused conducted staged interrogations and even mock court hearings over video calls, with some members of the gang posing as police officers and judges. Under constant surveillance and psychological pressure, the senior citizen was forced to remain connected on calls and was persuaded to liquidate his investments, including selling shares, before transferring money to accounts specified by the fraudsters.
Over 40 days, the senior citizen transferred more than Rs58 crore, effectively wiping out his savings.
The investigation has revealed the scale and sophistication of the laundering operation. Police say the money was routed through more than 10,000 mule bank accounts spread across multiple layers, many of them opened in the names of shell companies. These accounts were used to move funds across borders, with links traced to jurisdictions such as China, Indonesia and Hong Kong. A portion of the proceeds was also converted into cryptocurrency and transferred through digital wallets to obscure the trail.
Officials say current accounts were fraudulently opened in the names of various entities to facilitate high-value transactions without raising immediate suspicion.
A first information report (FIR) has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and the Information Technology Act, 2000. With several suspects still absconding, Maharashtra cyber police says the probe is continuing and more arrests are likely as investigators follow the money trail and identify additional layers of the network.
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