Two held for ‘digital arrest’ fraud

The police have arrested two accused, including a woman, for duping a retired Army officer of Rs 82 lakh by threatening him with digital arrest. They have been identified as Mukesh Kumar Singla of Guru Agant Nagar, Muktsar; and Suman Rani of Tilak Nagar, Mastakpur, in Punjab.

The victim, Major General Prabodh Chander Puri (retd), a resident of Sector 20 here, filed a complaint on the cybercrime complaint portal on October 22. He said on October 15, he received a voice call from an unknown number. The caller told him that a mobile number in his name was being used to carry out criminal activities, after which, cyber criminals, posing as police cyber cell and CBI officers, called from different numbers. They told the victim and his wife that both had been put under digital arrest and made them stay put in their home for about two days.

The cyber criminals did not let the couple go out. They kept making video calls so that the couple could not contact anyone else for help. Whenever the victim went to the bank to transfer money, the criminals continuously talked to him on video calls.

A case was registered at Cyber Police Station, Sector 20, under Sections 316 (2), 318(4), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) of the Indian Penal Code.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Manpreet Singh Sudan said investigation revealed that money was transferred to 77 fake bank accounts. Investigation is still going on.

Both accused were produced before the court. The Judge sent Singla to judicial custody and the woman to two-day police remand.

In a message to the general public, the ACP said the police, CBI, ED, judge or other investigating officers did not arrest (digital arrest as claimed by criminals) anyone through video or voice call under any circumstances. Thus, ignore the messages, voice calls etc, received on the phone and disconnect the call of any unknown person immediately.