The fraudsters are still at large and have been harassing my mother by calling her multiple times and sending messages and e-mails, the victim’s daughter said.
| Photo Credit: Image for representation
Vibha*, a 75-year-old breast cancer survivor who was forced to sell her home in south Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, pawn her gold jewellery and part with nearly ₹3 lakh in a digital arrest scam, has moved the Delhi High Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, alleging that the Delhi police have made “little meaningful progress” since the FIR was registered in April this year.
On July 30, Ms. Vibha and her daughter, Seema Chauhan*, filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking the transfer of the case to the Central probe agency. The court has issued notices to the police and the CBI seeking their response. It has also asked the police to submit a detailed status report within two weeks and posted the matter for hearing on August 13.
“This is a case where the fraudsters not only forced an elderly woman to be under continuous video surveillance but also showed up at her doorstep, thereby involving digital as well as physical extortion and harassment. This is why we have sought a CBI inquiry into the case,” said Kush Sharma, the advocate representing the two petitioners.
‘Worst crime’
The plea also cited the Supreme Court’s directions from December 1, 2025, in a suo motu case in which the court observed that senior citizens are the most targeted victims in digital arrest cases and that the CBI must be the primary agency to investigate such cases.
The apex court has repeatedly expressed concern over such cases. Last week, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said, “Digital arrest scams are the worst kind of crime against people, especially senior citizens whose life savings and hard-earned money are fraudulently siphoned out when they need it the most.”
Month-long ordeal
Ms. Vibha was under digital arrest from April 6 to 27. Men claiming to be from the CBI told her to hand over her savings, jewellery and property in order to avoid action from the Enforcement Directorate, threatening to bring her children, who live outside India, back to the country and arrest them if she did not comply.
Her daughter, who lives in the Netherlands, returned to India as soon as she found out about the crime, after which an FIR was registered on April 27.
Since then, the senior citizen said, the police have not updated them on the investigation, even as the family continues to receive phone calls and messages from the perpetrators.
“The fraudsters are still at large and have been harassing my mother by calling her multiple times and sending messages and e-mails,” said Ms. Chauhan.
“When I contacted the investigating officer and told him that my mother is still getting calls and messages from them, he told me he would summon them for interrogation after I returned to India. All this while, the police did not take any action against them,” she claimed.
When reached for comment, investigating officer Subhash Pokhriyal said the police have identified multiple bank account holders to whom the proceeds from the crime were transferred.
“At least 10-12 bank accounts have been identified. We are interrogating the account holders,” he said.
(*Names changed on request)
Published – August 03, 2026 01:29 am IST
