State vs accused — Hyderabad digital arrest fraud case

The Supreme Court registered a suo motu case in October 2025 after a senior citizen couple from Haryana reported being defrauded of Rs 1.5 crore in a digital arrest scam. The Court issued 13-point directions to combat such scams nationwide, recognizing this as a widespread issue affecting multiple states and directing RBI, banks, and state authorities to implement urgent SOPs and cybercrime coordination mechanisms.

An 81-year-old businessman from Belagavi, Ajit Gopalkrishna Saraf, was defrauded of Rs 15.45 crore over a six-week digital arrest scam between February and March 2026. Police arrested one accused in connection with the case.

The CBI conducted coordinated searches at 80 locations across 16 states and Union Territories as part of a crackdown on cybercriminal networks involved in digital arrest scams. Two arrests were made during the operation. The investigation targets organized fraud schemes that have victimized hundreds of people across India.