In a landmark judgment, a court in West Bengal has sentenced nine individuals to life imprisonment in the country's first conviction in a "digital arrest" cyber fraud case. The verdict, delivered by the Kalyani court in Nadia district on Friday, marks a significant milestone in India's fight against the rise in cybercrime. The court had found the accused guilty on Thursday, following a trial that concluded within eight months of the incident.
The nine convicts have been identified as Md Imtiyaz Ansari, Shahid Ali Shaikh, Shahrukh Rafik Shaikh, Jatin Anup Ladwal, Rohit Singh, Rupesh Yadav, Sahil Singh, and Pathan Sumaiya Banu, and Faldu Ashoke. Four of the convicts are from Maharashtra, three from Haryana and two from Gujarat.
The case originated from a complaint filed by Partha Kumar Mukerjee, a retired scientist, who was defrauded of ₹1 crore in October 2024. Mukerjee received a WhatsApp call from someone posing as a Mumbai Police officer, who falsely accused him of financial crimes. Under the guise of a "digital arrest," the fraudster coerced the victim into transferring the money to multiple bank accounts.
The investigation, initiated by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ranaghat on November 6, 2024, revealed that the fraudulent calls originated from Cambodia, utilizing an Indian SIM card. The accused operated a nationwide network and had victimized over 100 individuals in similar scams. Authorities arrested a total of 13 people across Maharashtra, Haryana.
According to officials, the same gang had targeted another senior citizen from Bhadreswar, West Bengal, who lost his entire savings of ₹41 lakhs while his wife was battling cancer. A high-ranking official of West Bengal Police stated that over 100 complaints were registered against this gang on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP), involving stolen amounts worth more than ₹100 crore.
Special Public Prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee hailed the verdict as a "landmark moment," noting that it is the first conviction and sentencing ever in any digital arrest case in the country. He added that the trial started on February 24, 2025, and concluded within 4.5 months, with the entire trial process taking only eight months from the date of the incident.
The convicts were found guilty under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act. Police seized a large number of mobile phones, bank documents, PAN cards, and cheque books during the operation. Authorities believe the racket has international connections, with the kingpin suspected to be based in a Southeast Asian country.
