White-collar crime covers financial and corporate offences committed through deceit rather than violence. It affects businesses, banks, investors and professionals, and the consequences include arrest, asset attachment and reputational damage.

Common offences and statutes

• Cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (for example Sections 316, 318 and 336).
• Corporate fraud under Section 447 of the Companies Act, 2013, punishable with imprisonment of six months to ten years and a fine that can reach three times the amount involved, investigated by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO).
• Money laundering under the PMLA, 2002, enforced by the Enforcement Directorate.
• Bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
• Chit fund and deposit schemes under the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act, 2019.
• Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 for confiscation where accused persons flee abroad.

Well-known examples

The Satyam Computer Services accounting fraud (2009), the Punjab National Bank fraud linked to Nirav Modi (2018) and the Saradha chit fund collapse in West Bengal (2013) show how white-collar cases involve multiple agencies, courts and years of litigation.

If you are accused

• Do not ignore notices from the police, ED, SFIO or the CBI. Responding with advice is safer than ignoring.
• Consider anticipatory bail if arrest is apprehended.
• Examine whether the dispute is purely civil. The Supreme Court has repeatedly warned against giving a criminal colour to commercial disputes, and a petition to quash under Section 528 BNSS may lie.
• Preserve documents and board records and avoid destruction of data.

If you are a victim

Gather ledgers, bank statements, agreements and communications, then file a written complaint with the economic offences wing or police. Parallel civil recovery, an insolvency application, or a complaint to the regulator may be considered. In the case of commercial offences the police may conduct a preliminary inquiry before registering an FIR, as recognised in Lalita Kumari v. Government of Uttar Pradesh (2013).

Need Guidance? Contact KC LEGAL

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This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Law and procedure change; please verify the current position for your specific case. Last reviewed: November 2026.