In a significant move, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the immediate transfer of investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a Rs 2.07 crore “digital arrest” cyber fraud case involving a retired PSPCL chief engineer.
The order was passed by Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi after a petition was filed by Sukhmander Singh, who alleged that he was duped through a large-scale organised cyber fraud. The court emphasised that such cases require investigation by a central agency, in line with recent Supreme Court directions.
During the hearing, it was revealed that fraudsters impersonating police, RBI, and government officials threatened the petitioner with false criminal charges, including action under the National Security Act. They coerced him into transferring Rs 2.07 crore through multiple RTGS transactions between May 9 and June 16, 2025.
The fraud involved forged RBI documents, fabricated digital arrest warrants, and continuous video surveillance and intimidation, highlighting the sophistication of the scam.
The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that despite an FIR being registered under the BNS and the Information Technology Act at the Cyber Crime police station in Jalandhar, the investigation had made minimal progress. Only Rs 2,47,454 has been traced so far, while the remaining amount remains unaccounted for.
The court was also told that the fraud has a pan-India dimension, involving multiple bank accounts across different banks, with possible involvement of bank officials. This made a centralised investigation with technical expertise necessary.
Referring to Supreme Court directions, the bench noted that states are required to grant consent under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act to enable CBI investigations in such cybercrime cases.
Allowing the plea, the High Court ordered the state of Punjab to hand over the case to the CBI for a comprehensive probe.
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