New Delhi: — In a major escalation of a high-value cyber fraud investigation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a fresh FIR and taken over the probe into the alleged “digital arrest” scam that siphoned off ₹11,42,75,000 (over ₹11.42 crore) from a retired teacher couple in Ahmedabad between June and August 2025.
The case, originally registered at the CID Cyber Crime Police Station in Gandhinagar, Gujarat (FIR No. 11201018250033/2025 dated 29 September 2025), has now been transferred to the CBI’s Economic Offences Wing-III in Delhi under Sections 5 and 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, following notifications issued by the Government of Gujarat on 19 February 2026 and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on 11 March 2026. The transfer complies with directions issued by the Supreme Court of India in Suo Moto Writ Petition (Criminal) No. 3 of 2025.
The complainant, 73-year-old Ms. Urmiben Shah, a retired professor from St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad, and her husband, Mr. Sameerbhai Shah, both senior citizens residing at Govind Bhuvan, 7 Shanti Niketan Society, Ellis Bridge, Ahmedabad, fell victim to a sophisticated, prolonged social-engineering operation.
According to the detailed complaint reproduced in the CBI FIR (RC2212026E0002 dated 11 March 2026), the scam began on 10 June 2025 at around 9:15 am when Ms. Shah received a phone call on her mobile number 9909013977 from an unidentified woman claiming to be an employee of the Department of Telecommunications (TRAI), Delhi, with employee ID 1121467. The caller warned that Ms. Shah’s number would be deactivated within two hours because a mobile number activated using her Aadhaar card (9956 2794 3704) had allegedly been used in criminal activities.
The case, she was told, had been transferred to Colaba Police Station, Mumbai, under complaint number MH561/0225.The call was then transferred to a person identifying himself as Police Inspector Vijay Khanna of Colaba Police Station, Mumbai, using WhatsApp numbers 8456871963 and 8167677821. He claimed that a Canara Bank credit card and account in Ms. Shah’s name had been linked to money laundering, hawala, and terrorist financing involving crores of rupees connected to Jet Airways promoter Naresh Goyal.
The conversation quickly escalated into a conference WhatsApp video call with individuals posing as CBI DCP Neeraj Kumar (numbers 7286826740 and 7558854767) and ADCP Daya Nayak (numbers 9121298617 and 8763854168), who appeared in police uniforms against a backdrop resembling a police station.
The fraudsters sent forged documents via WhatsApp, including a fake Supreme Court order titled “Government of India Compensation Assurance Declaration Supreme Court Compliance” bearing seals of the RBI, Mumbai Police, Supreme Court, and Government of India, along with signatures of the fake officials and a CBI Prosecutor named Vikram Goswami.
They also forwarded a fabricated letter titled “Ministry of Law and Justice – Notarized Supervision Acknowledgement.”The couple was placed under what the scammers termed “digital arrest,” instructed to remain isolated at home, stay on continuous WhatsApp video calls (audio-only at night), and not speak to family members, lawyers, or local police. They were given a secret code “USA7739” and threatened with immediate arrest without warrant if they disobeyed.
The scammers claimed they were monitoring the victims 24×7 and that any deviation would endanger their lives.Over the next two-and-a-half months (10 June to 31 August 2025), the imposters extracted complete details of the couple’s jewellery, bank accounts, mutual funds, and investments. They directed the victims to redeem mutual funds, withdraw PPF deposits, break fixed deposits, and sell jewellery. The proceeds were first parked in newly opened accounts — including Bank of India account No. 200410110017828 at the Ellis Bridge branch — before being transferred via RTGS to multiple beneficiary accounts across banks such as Federal Bank, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and YES Bank.
Key transfers listed in the FIR include:
- 18 June 2025: ₹3,65,000 to Federal Bank account of Jayanthi S
- Multiple July–August 2025 transactions totalling over ₹11 crore to accounts in the names of Eurofresh General, Pankaj Vishwas, Koirbg & Sons, XMVS Estet Swaraj, Enterprise Hexaquest, Global Hexaquest, Inar Trading & Const, Vishwa Global, and others.
The total amount fraudulently transferred stood at ₹11,42,75,000. The scammers repeatedly assured the victims that once “verification” was complete, the entire sum plus interest would be refunded and a “clean chit” issued. No money was ever returned.The fraud came to light only after Mr. Sameerbhai Shah refused to divulge further family details in late August 2025. Suspecting foul play, Ms. Shah contacted former students in the police force, who confirmed the couple had been scammed.
On 31 August 2025, the family filed a complaint via the national Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 (acknowledgement No. 31108250172653). The original Gujarat FIR was registered on 29 September 2025.The CBI FIR invokes Sections 308(6), 127(2), 127(4), 336(3), 337, 340(2), and 61(2)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 66C and 66D of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Accused persons are currently listed as unknown, including holders of the specific WhatsApp numbers and all bank accounts that received the laundered funds.
The investigation has been entrusted to Inspector Dharamvir Arya of CBI EO-III Delhi. CBI sources said the case is being treated as part of a larger organized cyber crime syndicate involved in “digital arrest” frauds targeting senior citizens across the country.
The agency is now tracing the beneficiary accounts, analysing call records, and examining the forged documents.Ms. Urmiben Shah, in her complaint, described the ordeal as one that left the couple “extremely scared and stunned,” forcing them to remain confined indoors for nearly three months while being constantly monitored via video calls.
The Supreme Court’s intervention in similar digital arrest cases has prompted several state governments, including Gujarat, to transfer such investigations to the CBI for coordinated action.
