KOLKATA- In a ruling by a Kalyani trial court, nine cyber fraudsters were convicted for orchestrating a ₹100 crore nationwide scam using a chilling method dubbed the “digital arrest.” This conviction the first of its kind in West Bengal reveals how international syndicates exploit regional fluency and tech loopholes to prey on victims.
A New Age Crime: Arrested by Fear, Not Handcuffs
A landmark verdict from West Bengal’s Kalyani trial court has unveiled a horrifying evolution in cyber fraud victims coerced into transferring crores under the threat of fake digital arrests. In a meticulously planned operation, scammers made calls from Cambodia using Indian SIMs, masquerading as police officers and threatening arrest to extort over ₹1 crore from a single victim. This case alone is part of a larger ₹100 crore pan-India fraud affecting at least 108 individuals.
Partha Kumar Mukhopadhyay, a resident of Ranaghat in Bengal, lodged the initial complaint after being defrauded on October 19, 2024. The scammer, posing as SI Hemraj Koli from Mumbai Police, contacted him via WhatsApp and manipulated him into transferring ₹1 crore across several bank accounts.
From Cambodia to India: A Fraud Engineered with Precision
The con artists’ operation was deeply technical. Though calls originated in Cambodia, the WhatsApp number was linked to an Indian SIM card, making the fraud appear local and credible. Their fluency in Bengali and Hindi, coupled with detailed impersonations of law enforcement officers, further reduced suspicion.
Investigators called the case “digital terrorism,” noting that the accused created an illusion of urgent legal jeopardy to trigger real-time money transfers. “This wasn’t just fraud—it was psychological warfare,” said a senior officer familiar with the investigation.
The scale of the racket is unprecedented. The nine convicted individuals were arrested from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Haryana and linked to hundreds of similar complaints nationwide. They now face sentencing under 11 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, with penalties ranging from three years to life imprisonment.
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Legal Breakthroughs and Lasting Lessons
The five-month trial saw 29 witnesses testify from four states, including high-ranking police officials and bank executives from SBI, PNB, Canara Bank, and Ujjivan Bank. The case, built on over 2,600 pages of chargesheets, set a new benchmark for prosecuting interstate cybercrime.
“This is not just a criminal victory it’s a regulatory wake-up call,” said Ranaghat Additional SP Siddhartha Dhapola. “We’ve seen the rise of sophisticated, borderless crime. We must now rise with equal sophistication in our law enforcement.”
The court is expected to pronounce the sentences today, marking a defining moment in India’s battle against digital deception.