Patna: Bihar government is set to transfer more than 100 cases of “digital arrest” — a fast-spreading cybercrime tactic — to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), following a recent order from the Supreme Court. The state government has begun compiling a consolidated report from all districts, with officials confirming that Patna has recorded the highest number of incidents.
According to departmental sources, over the past two years, the state has logged more than 100 digital arrest cases, about half of which were registered in Patna alone. Police units have been asked to submit details of investigations and follow-up action for inclusion in the statewide dossier being prepared for central transfer.
Senior officers said a unified probe by the CBI would help trace the organised gangs operating across multiple states, as current investigations are scattered across individual police stations and specialised units. Many of the cases have links to other states, enabling cybercriminals to exploit jurisdictional gaps and evade swift detection.
By centralising the investigation, officials hope to identify networks running the scam nationally. Digital arrest cases typically involve fraudsters posing as CBI, ED, crime branch or telecom officials, coercing victims into isolation through video calls, threatening arrest, and extorting money under the guise of financial or narcotics investigations.
Major Incidents Reported in Patna
June 2025 – A Doctor Couple Defrauded of Rs. 2 Crore
A retired doctor couple in Hanuman Nagar were held in a 12-day digital arrest by fraudsters impersonating CBI officers and intimidated with a fabricated money-laundering case.
December 2024 – School Teacher Loses Rs. 98,000
Cybercriminals posed as TRAI officials and claimed the teacher’s phone would be blocked, forcing him into online payments under threat.
December 2024 – A Retired Doctor Duped of Rs. 74 Lakh
Fraudsters claiming to be ED officials kept a retired doctor confined in a hotel room for two days and extorted money by threatening an “assets case”.
November 2024 – A Retired Professor Cheated of Rs. 13 Lakh
A professor was told drugs had been found in a parcel in his name, and was kept under digital surveillance on a video call while money was transferred to the scammers.
Officials say the consolidated transfer to the CBI will help dismantle these interstate networks and enable tougher national-level action against cybercrime syndicates.
