This is an increasingly common and genuinely important question, so let me give you a careful, honest answer rather than a false comfort. During a lawful investigation, the police do have the power to seize property, including electronic devices, that they consider relevant to a case — this flows from the seizure powers under Section 106 of the BNSS (the old Section 102 CrPC). If the seizure is lawful, physically obstructing it is not wise, because obstruction of a public servant discharging duty can itself amount to an offence. So a flat refusal is usually not the right move.

That does not mean you are without protections — you have several, and you should assert them firmly but politely. Insist that the seizure be properly documented through a seizure memo or panchnama that specifically lists your device, and make sure you obtain a copy. Note also that the BNSS now requires search and seizure operations to be recorded through audio-video electronic means, which is an important safeguard against later disputes about what was taken and how. If the officers have no lawful authority or the seizure is a fishing expedition, that illegality can be challenged, and your lawyer can move the court accordingly.

The most delicate issue is your password. Here the law is genuinely unsettled. You have a constitutional protection against self-incrimination under Article 20(3), and there is a real legal debate about whether you can be compelled to disclose passwords or unlock a device; some courts have ordered access while the higher jurisprudence remains unsettled. Because the stakes and the law are both uncertain, you should not hand over credentials reflexively — speak to your lawyer first. Having a criminal lawyer in Agra guide you in real time, or reachable by phone during the seizure, can make a decisive difference to how your rights are preserved.

There is also a growing privacy dimension. Modern phones contain your entire life, and courts are increasingly alert to the need for proportionality and safeguards when personal digital data is taken and examined. My practical advice is to stay calm and cooperative on the surface while protecting yourself on the record: allow a lawful, documented seizure rather than resisting, but do not volunteer passwords or make statements without counsel, and preserve every document the police give you. If the seizure or subsequent access oversteps the law, that overreach becomes a point you can raise in your defence.