CBI arrests 2 in ₹11.42 crore Gujarat digital arrest case, raids 22 locations
Synopsis
A victim held under digital arrest for three months — tricked by fraudsters posing as police and TRAI officials — lost ₹11.42 crore. The CBI has now arrested two accused, Himanshu Prasad and Unis Biswas, raided 22 locations across 10 states, and found that ₹2.5 crore passed through a single shell-like company account. Operation Chakra-VI has notched 17 arrests and 142 raids in just one month.
Key Takeaways
The CBI arrested Himanshu Prasad and Unis Biswas on 27 September 2026 in a ₹11.42 crore digital arrest fraud case from Gujarat .
Searches were conducted at 22 locations across 10 states under Operation Chakra-VI .
The victim was held under digital arrest for approximately three months by fraudsters impersonating police and TRAI officials. ₹2.5 crore of the defrauded amount was routed through the account of M/s Hexaquest Global Private Limited .
The accused allegedly used bank accounts and APK files to siphon and layer the proceeds of crime.
In the past month, Operation Chakra-VI has resulted in 142 raids across 22 states and 17 arrests in total.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 27 September 2026 arrested two accused and conducted searches at 22 locations across 10 states in connection with a ₹11.42 crore digital arrest fraud originating from Gujarat, as part of Operation Chakra-VI — the agency's sustained crackdown on cybercrime syndicates. The case involves a victim who was held under digital arrest for approximately three months by fraudsters impersonating police officers and officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
How the Fraud Unfolded
The victim was coerced over a period of roughly three months into transferring ₹11.42 crore to bank accounts controlled by the cybercrime syndicate. The perpetrators posed as law-enforcement and government officials — a hallmark tactic of digital arrest frauds — using fabricated authority to psychologically trap the victim into compliance. Of the total amount defrauded, investigators found that ₹2.5 crore was routed through the account of a company identified as M/s Hexaquest Global Private Limited.
Who Was Arrested and What Was Seized
The two arrested accused have been identified as Himanshu Prasad and Unis Biswas. According to investigators, both allegedly played specific roles in receiving, layering, and dispersing the proceeds of crime. They were also found to have allegedly used bank accounts and installed APK files — a method commonly used to remotely access or surveil devices — to siphon off funds generated through digital arrest frauds and other cybercrimes.
The searches, which were planned on the basis of detailed financial and technical analysis of the money trail, led to the seizure of incriminating banking documents, account-related records, digital devices, and other crucial evidence. Several incriminating chats, messages, and documents were also recovered from devices seized from the accused. All material is now being forensically examined to map the broader financial and technological infrastructure sustaining the syndicate.
Scale of Operation Chakra-VI
This latest action is part of a wider, coordinated offensive. In the past one month alone, the CBI has conducted searches at 142 locations spanning 22 states and arrested 17 accused persons under Operation Chakra-VI. The operations have been designed to strike simultaneously — tracing proceeds of crime, identifying beneficiaries and handlers, and securing evidence before it can be destroyed.
The CBI has taken over multiple digital arrest cases from various states, in each of which victims were digitally detained by cybercriminals impersonating law-enforcement and government officials and coerced into transferring large sums. Notably, the cross-state scale of the racket — with accused, bank accounts, and mule networks spread across multiple jurisdictions — underscores why central coordination has been deemed necessary.
What Comes Next
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the network. The forensic examination of seized digital devices is expected to surface further leads on the syndicate's handlers and financial beneficiaries. The CBI has signalled that Operation Chakra-VI will continue with additional search-and-arrest operations as the money trail is mapped.
Point of View
APK-based device access, and cross-state syndicates that exploit the psychological terror of impersonating law enforcement. The CBI's centralised approach under Operation Chakra-VI is a belated but necessary escalation, given that state police forces have struggled with jurisdiction-hopping networks. The critical gap remains prosecution speed: arrests and seizures generate headlines, but convictions are what deter. With 17 arrests across 22 states in a month, the agency is clearly moving faster — the question is whether the courts can keep pace before syndicates reconstitute.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the ₹11.42 crore Gujarat digital arrest case?
It is a cybercrime case in which a victim was held under 'digital arrest' for approximately three months by fraudsters impersonating police officers and TRAI officials, and coerced into transferring ₹11.42 crore to syndicate-controlled accounts. The CBI arrested two accused, Himanshu Prasad and Unis Biswas, on 27 September 2026 as part of Operation Chakra-VI.
What is Operation Chakra-VI?
Operation Chakra-VI is the CBI's ongoing nationwide offensive against digital arrest cybercrime syndicates. In the past one month, it has resulted in searches at 142 locations across 22 states and the arrest of 17 accused persons, with the goal of tracing money trails and dismantling the networks behind such frauds.
What is 'digital arrest' fraud and how does it work?
Digital arrest fraud involves cybercriminals contacting victims via call or video call while posing as law-enforcement or government officials, falsely claiming the victim is under investigation, and then 'detaining' them digitally — ordering them not to leave home or disconnect — while demanding large money transfers to avoid fabricated legal consequences. Victims are psychologically coerced over days or even months.
What evidence did the CBI recover in these raids?
The CBI seized incriminating banking documents, account-related records, digital devices, and other crucial evidence across 22 locations. Investigators also recovered several chats, messages, and documents from seized devices, all of which are being forensically examined to map the syndicate's wider financial and technological infrastructure.
What happens next in the investigation?
The CBI is continuing efforts to identify and apprehend remaining members of the network. Forensic analysis of seized devices is expected to reveal further leads on the syndicate's handlers and financial beneficiaries. Additional search-and-arrest operations under Operation Chakra-VI are anticipated as the money trail is fully mapped.
