Sanawad (Madhya Pradesh): A 75-year-old retired professor lost Rs 10 lakh in a digital arrest scam after cyberfraudsters allegedly duped him over a call claiming that his name had surfaced in a terror case, in Sanawad on Sunday.
The crime didn’t come to light until later as the elderly man, identified as Shashikant Kulkarni, didn’t inform his family out of fear.
Kulkarni had retired after serving as the former head of the mechanical department at a local polytechnic college.
According to the complainant, on January 11, Kulkarni allegedly received a WhatsApp call from a man who identified himself as Amar Singh. The caller claimed that Rs 7 crore from a terrorist organisation’s bank account had been transferred to Kulkarni’s account and he was required to travel to Delhi for questioning.
When Kulkarni explained that he couldn't travel because of his old age and health, the fraudster allegedly demanded Rs 10 lakh to ‘settle’ the matter and avoid arrest.
The accused allegedly pressured Kulkarni by stating that the terrorists had already been arrested in Delhi and that he was being implicated in the case. Terrified by the threats, Kulkarni said that he transferred Rs 10 lakh via RTGS on January 11 to the bank account mentioned by the accused.
Even after the funds transfer, the accused allegedly continued calling him and demanded more money. They warned him that his bank account would be frozen. Kulkarni later filed a complaint with police cybercell regarding the fraud. The cybercell confirmed that no such case existed.
Police Station in-charge Rameshwar Thakur visited Kulkarni and assured him of appropriate action in the matter. “A formal complaint in the matter will be registered after the victim, along with his son, would visit the police station to register an FIR,” said Thakur on Thursday.
