In a historic verdict, a Bengal court sentenced 9 people to life imprisonment in India’s first digital arrest conviction. Officials called it a “landmark moment” as the entire trial concluded within just eight months of the incident.
A court in West Bengal sentenced nine individuals to life imprisonment, marking the first conviction in India related to cyber fraud involving digital arrest.
The Kalyani court in Nadia district delivered this significant judgment, highlighting the country’s ongoing battle against increasing cybercrime.
The verdict followed a trial that concluded within eight months of the incident, with the additional sessions judge announcing the sentencing on Friday.
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The nine convicted individuals are Md Imtiyaz Ansari, Shahid Ali Shaikh, Shahrukh Rafik Shaikh, Jatin Anup Ladwal, Rohit Singh, Rupesh Yadav, Sahil Singh, Pathan Sumaiya Banu, and Faldu Ashoke. Among them, four hail from Maharashtra, three from Haryana, and two from Gujarat.
Special Public Prosecutor Bivas Chatterjee stated,
“This is the first conviction and sentencing ever in any digital arrest case in the country. The custody trial started on February 24, 2025, and ended within 4.5 months. It took only eight months to finish the entire trial process and convict them from the date of incident. This will be a landmark moment for us,”
The case originated from a complaint by Partha Kumar Mukerjee, a retired scientist who was defrauded of Rs 1 crore in October 2024. Mukerjee received a WhatsApp call from someone impersonating a Mumbai Police officer, falsely accusing him of financial misconduct.
Under the guise of a “digital arrest,” the scammer pressured the victim to transfer funds to various bank accounts.
Following Mukerjee’s complaint, the Cyber Crime Police Station in Ranaghat launched an investigation on November 6, 2024, uncovering that the calls were made from Cambodia using an Indian SIM card.
The accused were part of a nationwide network that had targeted over 100 victims in similar scams.
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Authorities arrested a total of 13 individuals across Maharashtra, Haryana, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Of these, nine were formally charged and subsequently convicted under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology (IT) Act, including criminal breach of trust, forgery, impersonation, conspiracy, and identity theft.
The successful prosecution of this case sets a vital legal precedent and may deter future cybercrimes.
Authorities continue to urge the public to stay vigilant against digital fraud and to report any suspicious activities promptly.
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