Two arrested over 'digital arrest' fraud with 83-year-old in Panchkula
PTC News Desk: The police have arrested two people who impersonated as police officers from Hyderabad and allegedly extorted Rs 57.90 lakh from an elderly man on the backdrop of 'digital arrest'.
The suspects were identified as Manish and Amit, both from Dadholi village in Hisar.
According to the police, the complainant, Rajendra (83) of Sector 16, who retired from HMT, had received a WhatsApp call on January 16 from a man claiming to be a Hyderabad-based police official. The caller falsely alleged that Rajendra was involved in a money-laundering case and would have to reach Hyderabad within two hours. When he said he couldn’t travel, the fraudsters linked his Aadhaar card to another suspect named “Goyal”, who was accused of fleeing abroad, and declared Rajendra “digitally arrested”.
Using fear and deceit, the fraudsters subjected the elderly victim to intense psychological pressure for three days, maintaining constant video surveillance and instructing him not to communicate with anyone. During this time, they withdrew over Rs 57 lakh from his bank accounts.
An FIR was filed on July 21 under Sections 316(2), 318(4), and 319 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. After an investigation led by SI Saurabh Singh, the two accused were arrested on Tuesday.
- PTC NEWS
