CBI chargesheets Bank official, firm owner in digital arrest scam

CBI has filed a chargesheet against a bank official and the owner of a Pulwama-based firm in connection with a case of “digital arrest” of a resident of Delhi.The accused have been identified as Umer Iqbal, proprietor of M/s Himalayan Enterprises, and Umer Ahmad Dar, a deputy manager with Axis Bank, officials said. The chargesheet has been filed under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving stolen property and using forged documents. The accused have also been booked under the Information Technology Act for offences related to cheating and impersonation using computer resources, besides provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act for bribery-related offences. According to investigators, the scam was orchestrated by a transnational organised criminal network operating from South-East Asia.
According to CBI statement, they extorted Rs 1.6 crore from the senior citizen after holding her captive for days.The case was transferred to the CBI by the Supreme Court from the Delhi Police and was registered by the agency in January 2026. During the investigation, the CBI arrested the proprietor of the Pulwama-based firm after finding that the firm’s current account had been used to receive the proceeds of the cyber fraud. The investigation further revealed that a portion of the defrauded money was allegedly paid to the Axis Bank Deputy Manager for facilitating the siphoning of funds.
The agency also cautioned the public against falling prey to “digital arrest” scams, stressing that there is no legal concept of a digital arrest. It urged citizens not to panic or comply with such calls and advised them to report suspicious activity through the national cybercrime portal or to the nearest law enforcement agency.

(Freelance Journalist)