Mumbai, February 24 – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio, appealed to citizens on Tuesday not to respond to any video call about a "digital arrest," as it is non-existent and there is no legal provision for such an arrest.
Scammers impersonating police or CBI officials use video calls to create a "virtual jail" environment, which is entirely fraudulent.
Intervening during a question by Abu Azmi in the state Assembly during question hour, the Chief Minister highlighted the sophisticated nature of these frauds and emphasised that no government or law enforcement agency will ever conduct an "arrest" via a video call.
He stressed the importance of the first 60 minutes, the "golden hour," after a fraud occurs. If reported immediately to the 1930 helpline or the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, there is a much higher chance of freezing the transaction and recovering funds.
The chief minister said that if the complaint is made within the "golden hour," it will help the police to trace the transaction and prevent it from proceeding.
"No government agency or police officer will ever arrest you over a video call or demand money to settle a case. If you receive such a call, hang up and report it immediately to 1930," he noted.
He also noted that Maharashtra has developed the most advanced cyber security center in India, which is now being used as a model by other states to track digital footprints and curb fake call centers.
The CM referred to two cases about how a retired IAS officer and senior naval officer fell prey to such calls and reiterated the citizens not to respond to such calls declaring digital arrest. He also emphasised the importance of the "golden hour" to track the case and recover the money.
The chief minister said that the central government is implementing a comprehensive awareness campaign against cyber crimes across the country, and the state government is also making all efforts to make citizens aware of these crimes. Earlier, the chief minister revealed that the state has successfully cracked down on several syndicates. Between late 2025 and early 2026, 145 major cyber arrest cases were recorded, involving frauds worth over Rs 129 crore.
The Minister of State for Home (Urban) Yogesh Kadam said that in Ahilyanagar, despite two months after the registration of the offence by a victim, the police have kept hold of Rs 78 lakh out of the total Rs 87 lakh.
He appealed to the citizens to soon report cyber crime related cases, including "digital arrest" during the "golden hour."
CM Fadnavis later told the Assembly that the victim would get the money that have been put on hold during the investigation.
