Madhya Pradesh: Retired BHEL Employee ‘Digitally Arrested’, Duped Of ₹68 Lakh

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Cyber conmen tricked and intimidated a 71-year-old retired BHEL supervisor into transferring Rs 68.3 lakh to them after holding him under digital arrest.

The victim, Vinod Kumar Gupta, a resident of LIG F Sector, Ayodhya Nagar later realized he was conned and filed a complaint with the cybercrime branch officials who registered a case and launched an investigation.

Cybercrime officials said Gupta received a WhatsApp call from conmen posing as officers from the Department of Telecommunications and the CBI a few days back. They claimed that Gupta’s identity was linked to illegal activities.

Additional DCP Shailendra Singh Chauhan said the fraudsters told Gupta that a SIM card registered in his name was being misused in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk.

They also alleged that a bank passbook in Gupta’s name was found containing deposits worth Rs 68 crore in black money along with links to drug racket and human trafficking. Threatening him with arrest under money laundering and trafficking charges, the cyber crooks pressured Gupta into following their instructions.

The victim was kept under digital arrest and coerced into transferring money to avoid imprisonment. Out of fear, Gupta transferred around Rs 68.3 lakh into multiple accounts in several banks. However, he later realised that he had been duped.

Acting on the complaint, the cyberrime branch registered a case and formed teams to trace the fraudsters. Police also advised that any such suspicious call should be immediately reported.