Notice from the Cyber Crime Police in Hyderabad: What It Means and What to Do
This guide is for people in Hyderabad and Telangana who have received a notice from a cyber crime police station, whether from the Hyderabad or Cyberabad police, a Telangana Cyber Security Bureau station, or the police of another state. The guide concentrates on notices sent because money from a reported cyber fraud passed through the recipient’s bank account: an account they sold or rented out, an account used by someone else, or an account that received payment for goods or cryptocurrency sold to a stranger. Others are sent to witnesses or to people asked to produce documents. The guide explains which notice is which, what the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) says about each, what the Supreme Court has said about notices sent on WhatsApp, and what the law says about arrest and bail.
Why these notices are sent · Which notice is it? · The notice to appear (section 35) · Notices on WhatsApp or e-mail · Witness notices · Orders to produce documents · What to do · The offences named · Arrest and bail · Police of another state · Frozen or attached accounts
Why these notices are sent
Money taken in a cyber fraud is moved quickly through other people’s bank accounts. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Ministry of Home Affairs says such accounts are “scouted through social media; majorly from Telegram and Facebook”, that they are “controlled remotely from overseas”, and that “Funds are immediately layered to another account as soon as the crime proceeds are received.” It “has advised citizens not to sell/rent their bank accounts/company registration certificate/Udhyam Aadhaar Registration certificate to anyone. Illicit funds deposited in such bank accounts can lead to legal consequences, including arrest.”
- Telangana’s drive on mule accounts: the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) launched “Operation Crackdown” in February 2026 “specifically targeting mule bank accounts”. Its release says “4,775 mule accounts were operated in the state last year” and that teams “collected Know Your Customer (KYC) details of suspicious mule account holders”.
- Account holders treated as accused: in November 2024 the Bureau reported action on 165 people from many states whose roles included “Mule Account Holders, Bank Account Suppliers, Account Operators, SIM Suppliers”.
- Selling to strangers: the Ministry of Home Affairs has said: “Citizens should refrain from doing transactions with unknown accounts, as these could be involved in money laundering and even terror financing and lead to blocking of accounts by police and other legal action.” The Bureau “strongly advises the public not to get involved in converting hard cash into crypto, as it amounts to money laundering. Offers of crypto at cheap rates are often linked to proceeds of crime.”
- Data shared across states: the I4C’s Suspect Registry receives data from banks; till 31 January 2026, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, “27.37 lakh Layer 1 mule accounts have been shared with the participating entities”. Its Samanvaya platform “provides analytics based interstate linkages of crimes and criminals”, and the Reserve Bank’s “MuleHunter.AI” tool for detecting mule accounts was, in March 2026, “live in 26 banks”.
This is why a notice can arrive months after the transactions, and from a police station far from Hyderabad. There is no offence called “money mule” in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS); the notice will name the sections the police rely on (see the offences named).
Which notice is it?
The section printed on the paper tells you what kind of notice it is. The old Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was repealed when the BNSS came into force on 1 July 2024, so an older notice may cite the old section numbers.
| Section on the notice | What it is | Old Code equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| BNSS section 35(3) | A notice to a person against whom there is a complaint, information or suspicion of a cognizable offence, directing that person to appear before the police officer or at a place named in the notice, issued where the police consider arrest is not required | section 41A |
| BNSS section 179 | A written order requiring a person who appears to know the facts of the case to attend before the investigating officer | section 160 |
| BNSS section 94 | A written order of the officer in charge of a police station requiring a person to produce a document, electronic communication or other thing | not covered here |
| BNSS section 106 | A seizure of property by the police, often sent to a bank to freeze an account, which must be reported to the Magistrate | section 102 |
| BNSS section 107 | A notice from a Court or Magistrate, on a police application, asking a person to show cause within fourteen days why property should not be attached as proceeds of crime | not covered here |
A summons from a court is different from a police notice. It is issued by the court and the BNSS allows court summonses to be served by electronic communication in the cases and manner it provides (sections 63, 64 and 71).
The notice to appear (section 35)
Section 35 is the main provision. For a cognizable offence punishable with imprisonment “which may be less than seven years or which may extend to seven years”, section 35(1)(b) lets the police arrest without a warrant only if two conditions are met (other clauses of section 35(1), such as those for a person found with suspected stolen property or named in a requisition from another police officer, are separate grounds): the officer “has reason to believe” that the person committed the offence, and the officer “is satisfied that such arrest is necessary” for reasons listed in the section, such as preventing further offences, “proper investigation of the offence”, preventing evidence from being destroyed or witnesses from being threatened, or ensuring the person’s presence in court. The officer must record reasons in writing for making the arrest, and also “record the reasons in writing for not making the arrest” (section 35(1)(b) and its proviso). For offences punishable with more than seven years, section 35(1)(c) does not repeat the necessity conditions.
- The notice: “The police officer shall, in all cases where the arrest of a person is not required under sub-section (1) issue a notice directing the person against whom a reasonable complaint has been made, or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed a cognizable offence, to appear before him or at such other place as may be specified in the notice” (section 35(3)).
- A duty to comply: “Where such a notice is issued to any person, it shall be the duty of that person to comply with the terms of the notice” (section 35(4)).
- If you comply: “Where such person complies and continues to comply with the notice, he shall not be arrested in respect of the offence referred to in the notice unless, for reasons to be recorded, the police officer is of the opinion that he ought to be arrested” (section 35(5)). Arrest is therefore still possible, but only for recorded reasons.
- If you do not comply: where the person “fails to comply with the terms of the notice or is unwilling to identify himself, the police officer may, subject to such orders as may have been passed by a competent Court in this behalf, arrest him for the offence mentioned in the notice” (section 35(6)). In July 2025 the Supreme Court said that failure to comply “does not lead to automatic arrest. Rather, it is the last resort available to the Investigating Agency, after due exercise of discretion regarding the necessity of arrest.” That is a statement about the police’s discretion, not a reason to ignore a notice.
- Older or infirm persons: “No arrest shall be made without prior permission of an officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police in case of an offence which is punishable for imprisonment of less than three years and such person is infirm or is above sixty years of age” (section 35(7)). Both conditions must be met; it is not a general rule for everyone over sixty.
The Supreme Court’s earlier rulings on the old section 41A still describe the approach. In Arnesh Kumar v State of Bihar (2014) the Court said the officer “must put a question to himself, why arrest? Is it really required? What purpose it will serve? What object it will achieve?”, and directed that a notice of appearance be served “within two weeks from the date of institution of the case”, extendable by the Superintendent of Police for recorded reasons. That two-week direction was framed under the old Code. In Satender Kumar Antil v CBI (11 July 2022) the Court said investigating agencies “are duty-bound to comply” with sections 41 and 41A and the Arnesh Kumar directions, that “Any non-compliance would entitle the accused for grant of bail”, and directed every State to frame standing orders on the procedure.
Notices on WhatsApp or e-mail
In its order of 21 January 2025 in Satender Kumar Antil v CBI, the Supreme Court directed all States and Union Territories to issue standing orders to their police to serve section 35 notices only through the mode of service prescribed by law. In the Court’s words, as restated in its judgment of 16 July 2025, “service of the aforesaid notices through WhatsApp or other modes of electronic communication, cannot be considered or recognised as an alternative or substitute to the mode of service recognised and prescribed under the CrPC, 1973/BNSS, 2023”. On 16 July 2025 the Court dismissed Haryana’s request to change this, and the January order “stands confirmed”.
- The reason given: “we are unable to convince ourselves that electronic communication is a valid mode of service of notice under Section 35 of the BNSS, 2023, since its conscious omission is a clear manifestation of the legislative intent.” The Court said a notice under section 35 “could have an immediate bearing on the liberty of the individual”, and that “A summons issued by a Court is a judicial act, whereas a notice issued by the Investigating Agency is an executive act.”
- Not every e-mail is invalid: the same judgment said the BNSS “does not entirely preclude the use of electronic communication by the Investigating Agency”, which is “specifically provided for under Sections 94(1) and 193(3)”. A police order under section 94 to produce a document can be “either in physical form or in electronic form”.
- Any state: the directions are addressed to all States and Union Territories, so they apply to notices from the police of any state.
If a notice to appear reaches you only on WhatsApp or by e-mail, speak to an advocate about it rather than ignore it. Scammers also send fake “police” papers and stage video calls; if a message demands money or asks you to stay on a call, see our guide on digital arrest scams.
Witness notices (section 179)
“Any police officer making an investigation under this Chapter may, by order in writing, require the attendance before himself of any person being within the limits of his own or any adjoining station who, from the information given or otherwise, appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case; and such person shall attend as so required” (section 179(1)).
- Who may be examined at home: “no male person under the age of fifteen years or above the age of sixty years or a woman or a mentally or physically disabled person or a person with acute illness shall be required to attend at any place other than the place in which such person resides”. Such a person may attend at the police station if willing.
- Expenses: the State Government may make rules for paying reasonable expenses to a person who attends at a place other than their residence (section 179(2)).
- Answering questions: a person examined “shall be bound to answer truly all questions relating to such case put to him by such officer, other than questions the answers to which would have a tendency to expose him to a criminal charge or to a penalty or forfeiture” (section 180(2)).
A person called as a witness can later be treated differently as the investigation proceeds, so take advice on the facts before attending.
Orders to produce documents (section 94)
An officer in charge of a police station who considers that the production of “any document, electronic communication, including communication devices, which is likely to contain digital evidence or other thing” is necessary for an investigation may, “by a written order, either in physical form or in electronic form”, require the person who has it to attend and produce it, or to produce it, at the time and place stated (section 94(1)). A person asked only to produce a document “shall be deemed to have complied with the requisition if he causes such document or thing to be produced instead of attending personally” (section 94(2)).
What to do when you receive a notice
- Read it closely: note the police station, the case or crime number, the sections, the officer’s name, and the date, time and place for appearance. Check whether you are named as a person suspected of an offence (section 35), as a witness (section 179), or only to produce documents (section 94).
- Keep the notice: keep the original, the envelope or the record of how it was delivered, and screenshots if it also came on a phone.
- Do not ignore it: section 35(4) makes compliance a duty. If you cannot attend on the date, take advice on asking the officer in writing for another date.
- Gather your own records: bank statements for the period, and anything showing why money came into your account, such as invoices, delivery records, chats with the buyer, or records of a cryptocurrency sale. Do not delete chats or apps.
- Check it is genuine: confirm the station and case through the police station’s official contact details, not only a number printed on a message.
- Speak to an advocate before you go: the right steps depend on the sections named, the amounts, whether your account is frozen, and whether the police are from Telangana or another state.
The offences named in these notices
No Telangana police source we found states which sections are “usually” used against account holders. In one Hyderabad case of July 2025 in which a mule account holder was arrested, the Bureau’s release records sections 318(4), 319(2) and 338 of the BNS and section 66-D of the IT Act. The provisions most relevant to money passing through an account are these:
| Provision | What it covers | Maximum punishment | Cognizable / bailable |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNS s.317(2) | dishonestly receiving or retaining stolen property, “knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property”; property obtained by cheating is “stolen property” (s.317(1)) | 3 years, or fine, or both | cognizable, non-bailable |
| BNS s.317(5) | voluntarily assisting in concealing or disposing of property known or believed to be stolen | 3 years, or fine, or both | cognizable, non-bailable |
| BNS s.318(2) | cheating | 3 years, or fine, or both | non-cognizable, bailable |
| BNS s.318(4) | cheating that dishonestly induces the person deceived to deliver property | 7 years and fine | cognizable, non-bailable |
| BNS s.319(2) | cheating by personation | 5 years, or fine, or both | cognizable, bailable |
| IT Act s.66C | fraudulent or dishonest use of another person’s electronic signature, password or other unique identification feature | 3 years and fine up to Rs 1 lakh | cognizable, bailable (s.77B) |
| IT Act s.66D | cheating by personation by means of a communication device or computer resource | 3 years and fine up to Rs 1 lakh | cognizable, bailable (s.77B) |
The BNS also punishes criminal conspiracy (section 61) and defines organised crime to include “cyber-crimes” carried on as a “continuing unlawful activity” by or on behalf of an organised crime syndicate (section 111); “continuing unlawful activity” requires, among other things, more than one charge-sheet filed in the preceding ten years. Whether any of these applies to a particular account holder depends on the facts, including what the person knew; section 317(2), for example, turns on “dishonestly” and “knowing or having reason to believe”.
Arrest and bail
- At arrest: the officer must carry clear identification and prepare a memorandum of arrest attested by a family member or a respectable member of the locality and countersigned by the person arrested (section 36). The officer must “forthwith communicate to him full particulars of the offence for which he is arrested or other grounds for such arrest”, and, for an offence that is not non-bailable, tell the person that they are entitled to be released on bail and may arrange sureties (section 47).
- Informing family: the police must “forthwith” inform a relative, friend or other person nominated by the arrested person of the arrest and the place of detention (section 48).
- An advocate during questioning: “When any person is arrested and interrogated by the police, he shall be entitled to meet an advocate of his choice during interrogation, though not throughout interrogation” (section 38).
- Twenty-four hours: a person arrested without a warrant must not be detained beyond twenty-four hours without a special order of a Magistrate under section 187, excluding the time needed for the journey “from the place of arrest to the Magistrate’s Court, whether having jurisdiction or not” (sections 57 and 58).
- Anticipatory bail: “When any person has reason to believe that he may be arrested on an accusation of having committed a non-bailable offence, he may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this section; and that Court may, if it thinks fit, direct that in the event of such arrest, he shall be released on bail” (section 482(1)). It is discretionary, applies only to non-bailable offences, and the court may impose conditions, including “that the person shall make himself available for interrogation by a police officer as and when required” and not leaving India without permission.
See also our guide on rights on arrest in Telangana.
Notices and arrests by police of another state
A victim can report a cognizable offence to a police station “irrespective of the area where the offence is committed” (section 173(1)), so a complaint filed far away can lead to a notice in Hyderabad. The BNSS lets a cheating case using electronic communications be tried where the communications “were sent or were received”, or where the property “was delivered by the person deceived or was received by the accused person” (section 202(1)). An offence that includes possession of stolen property may be tried where the property “was possessed by any person who received or retained it” knowing or having reason to believe it to be stolen (section 201(5)).
- Arrest without warrant: “A police officer may, for the purpose of arresting without warrant any person whom he is authorised to arrest, pursue such person into any place in India” (section 45). Police may also arrest a person on a written or oral requisition from another police officer that specifies the person and the offence (section 35(1)(j)).
- Arrest on a warrant: “A warrant of arrest may be executed at any place in India” (section 79). A warrant to be executed outside the issuing court’s area is ordinarily endorsed by an Executive Magistrate or a police officer of at least the rank of officer in charge of a police station where it is executed (section 81). Unless the issuing court is within thirty kilometres or security is taken, the person is taken before the Magistrate, District Superintendent or Commissioner of the place of arrest; for a bailable offence that authority shall take a bail bond, and for a non-bailable offence the Chief Judicial Magistrate or Sessions Judge of that district may release on bail (sections 82 and 83).
- Information to family and time limits: the duty to inform a nominated person under section 48 applies to any arrest under the BNSS, including by police of another state. A person arrested without a warrant must not be detained beyond twenty-four hours without a Magistrate’s special order (section 58); a person arrested on a warrant must be brought before the court within twenty-four hours, excluding the journey (section 78).
- Witness notices from far away: section 179 reaches a person “within the limits of his own or any adjoining station”. If you receive a witness notice from a distant police station, take advice on it rather than ignoring it.
If your account is frozen or attached
Many people first learn of a case when their bank freezes their account. Any police officer “may seize any property which may be alleged or suspected to have been stolen, or which may be found under circumstances which create suspicion of the commission of any offence” and must “forthwith report the seizure to the Magistrate having jurisdiction” (section 106). The I4C’s guidance to police says freezing “should not be blanket” and that “The LEA should inform the account holder after the bank accounts have been frozen.”
Attachment is a court process. With the approval of the Superintendent or Commissioner of Police, the investigating officer may apply to the court for attachment of property derived from a criminal activity; the court may issue a notice “calling upon him to show cause within a period of fourteen days as to why an order of attachment shall not be made”, may attach on an interim basis without notice where notice “would defeat the object”, and if it finds the property to be proceeds of crime it directs the District Magistrate to distribute it rateably to the persons affected (section 107). See our guide on bank accounts frozen after a cyber complaint.
Related guides: cyber crime, frozen bank accounts, rights on arrest, investment and trading scams and digital arrest scams.
Frequently asked questions
I got a notice from the cyber crime police because money came into my bank account. What does it mean?
It usually means the police are investigating a reported cyber fraud and money from it passed through your account. The section printed on the notice shows its type: BNSS section 35(3) directs a person suspected of a cognizable offence to appear where the police consider arrest is not required, section 179 calls a person who knows the facts, and section 94 requires documents to be produced.
Will I be arrested if I go to the police station on a section 35 notice?
The law does not say either way for every case. Section 35(5) of the BNSS says a person who complies and continues to comply with the notice shall not be arrested for the offence in the notice unless, for reasons to be recorded, the police officer is of the opinion that the person ought to be arrested.
What happens if I do not respond to a section 35 notice?
Section 35(4) makes compliance a duty, and section 35(6) says the police officer may arrest a person who fails to comply, subject to any orders of a competent court. The Supreme Court said in July 2025 that non-compliance does not lead to automatic arrest and that arrest is a last resort after the police consider whether it is necessary.
The police sent the notice on WhatsApp. Is that valid?
In January 2025 the Supreme Court directed all States and Union Territories to serve section 35 notices only by the mode prescribed by law, and said service through WhatsApp or other electronic modes cannot be recognised as an alternative or substitute for it; it confirmed that order on 16 July 2025. An order under section 94 to produce documents can lawfully be in electronic form. Speak to an advocate about a notice received this way rather than ignore it.
Can police from another state arrest me in Hyderabad?
The BNSS lets a police officer pursue a person whom the officer is authorised to arrest without warrant into any place in India (section 45), and a warrant of arrest may be executed at any place in India (section 79). The duty to inform a nominated person of the arrest applies to any arrest under the BNSS, and the BNSS sets a twenty-four hour limit, excluding travel time, both for an arrest without a warrant (section 58) and for an arrest on a warrant (section 78).
Can I take a lawyer with me?
Section 38 of the BNSS says a person who is arrested and interrogated by the police is entitled to meet an advocate of their choice during interrogation, though not throughout interrogation. Taking advice from an advocate before attending on any notice is sensible.
Can I apply for anticipatory bail?
A person who has reason to believe they may be arrested for a non-bailable offence may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session under section 482 of the BNSS, and the court may, if it thinks fit, direct release on bail in the event of arrest, with conditions. It does not apply to bailable offences, for which the arrested person is entitled to be told they can be released on bail.
Is selling or renting my bank account an offence?
There is no offence called “money mule” in the BNS, but the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre advises citizens not to sell or rent their bank accounts to anyone and says illicit funds deposited in such accounts can lead to legal consequences, including arrest. Provisions such as receiving or retaining stolen property (BNS section 317) can apply depending on what the account holder knew.
For a discussion about a notice from the cyber crime police with Musab Hashmi & Associates, call +91 89771 24916 or send an enquiry. Do not include identity numbers, passwords, account numbers or copies of documents in the first message.
General legal information, not legal advice. Checked on 28 October 2026 against the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Gazette texts of 25 December 2023), the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 (Gazette text), the Supreme Court’s judgments in Satender Kumar Antil v CBI of 11 July 2022 and 16 July 2025 (official copies) and its order of 21 January 2025, Arnesh Kumar v State of Bihar (2014) as quoted in the 2022 judgment, notifications of the Calcutta and Orissa High Courts on the commencement of the new criminal laws, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau’s releases of 1 October 2024, 12 November 2024, 19 July 2025, 25 February 2026 and 25 April 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs releases of 6 December 2023, 28 October 2024 and 17 March 2026, the Ministry of Finance release of 24 March 2026, and the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre’s Legal Bulletin Vol. I, 2025.