Mumbai, Feb. 25 -- Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday clarified that 'digital arrest' - a cyber fraud tactic which has been used to dupe innumerable citizens - was a sheer falsehood. "Cyber fraudsters impersonate police or CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) officials on video call to create a fraudulent virtual jail environment and intimidate victims. People should be aware of such fraudsters," Fadnavis said while replying to a question in the assembly related to cyber fraud. No law enforcement agency or government body would ever arrest anyone via a video call or demand money to settle some legal matter, the chief minister said. "We have set up India's most advanced cyber security centre in Maharashtra. It has become a national model and few other states have approached us to track digital footprints and dismantle fraudulent call centres in their states," he noted. Between late 2025 and early 2026, at least 145 major cyber crime cases were registered in Maharashtra, while the total defrauded amount was Rs.129 crore, the chief minister informed the assembly. Quick action in a case in Ahilyanagar had helped the police recover Rs.78 lakh out of the siphoned Rs.87 lakh, he said. Dwelling on the importance of the golden hour, when victims have the highest chance of recovering stolen funds before they are siphoned through multiple "mule" accounts or withdrawn, Fadnavis said. "The first 60 minutes are important for action and recovery. People who fall prey to these rackets should contact the helpline 1930 for seizure of the amount transferred with the help of banks," he added. The chief minister also urged people to simply hang up on suspicious callers and report such instances to the cyber police. The Mahayuti government will amend the Maharashtra Public Trust Act to ensure stricter implementation of rules related to treatment of poor patients at charitable hospitals, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told the legislative assembly on Tuesday. "Charitable hospitals need to spend 2% of their revenue on treating poor patients. They show this on paper by inflating rates. By amending the law, we will make them finalise the base rate for various procedures, so that the government can monitor actual spending," he said during the question hour....