Crime
K’taka HM vows swift action after techie loses Rs 31.83 crore in ‘digital arrest’ scam
Bengaluru, Nov 18: Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara on Tuesday said the government would take firm action in the online fraud case involving the “digital arrest” of a 57-year-old Bengaluru tech professional who lost Rs 31.83 crore.
He confirmed that it is the largest online financial scam reported in Karnataka to date, adding that the people behind the digital arrest would not be spared.
Speaking to reporters, Parameshwara said that the fraud took place over more than a year, involving about 187 transactions from the victim’s account. “She could have approached the police at any stage, and had she done so earlier, she would not have lost such a large amount,” he said.
He said the state had not witnessed a digital arrest case of this scale earlier. “We are treating the case with full seriousness and will trace those responsible,” he said.
“If she realised the fraud only after transferring money amounting to crores, it shows how deeply she was affected by the scam. Now that the case has come to light, we have taken it seriously. This is the highest-ever online fraud reported from our state. This is the first time such a large-scale digital arrest case has been reported and such a huge amount siphoned off,” Parameshwara said.
The Karnataka Home Minister also referred to a separate case in which people based in Karnataka had virtually detained individuals in the United States, pointing out that the method was not new to local investigators.
The incident came to light on Monday, when it was reported that a 57-year-old Bengaluru tech professional had lost Rs 31.83 crore to cybercriminals after being held in a digital arrest for more than six months.
Following a complaint at Bengaluru’s East Cyber Crime Police Station, the police launched a hunt to trace the gang.
The victim transferred Rs 31.83 crore in 187 transactions, exhausting nearly all her savings and deposits except her fixed deposits. The accused repeatedly assured her that the money would be returned by February after verification but kept delaying the deadline with one excuse after another.
Growing suspicious, the victim lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police on November 14. In the complaint, she stated that due to her son’s marriage ceremony, she could not approach the police early.
According to the police, the cybercriminals kept the victim under digital arrest for more than six months and severed contact after extorting the amount.
Her ordeal began on September 15, 2024, when she received a call from someone claiming to represent a reputed courier company, who told her that a package in her name — containing three credit cards, four passports, and banned MDMA — had been received at a courier centre in Andheri, Mumbai.
The victim told the caller that she lived in Bengaluru and had no knowledge of the package. He then warned her that, since the parcel was linked to her mobile number, it could involve cyber fraud and she needed to file a complaint. Before she could respond, her call was transferred to another person claiming to be an officer from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The accused prevented her from contacting the police or seeking legal help by convincing her that cybercriminals were monitoring her every move. They later issued direct threats, warning that if she revealed anything, her entire family would be implicated.
With her son’s wedding approaching, she yielded to the pressure and followed their instructions. The accused then contacted her via Skype, identifying himself as Pradeep Singh, and informed her that another associate, Rahul Yadav, would monitor her for a week. During this period, she was confined to her home, while the accused worked remotely from her residence.
On September 23 last year, the accused instructed the victim to declare her properties to the Reserve Bank of India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). After she disclosed her assets and cash, they extorted money from her in stages and even provided a forged clearance certificate.
The police said that the investigation is underway.
Crime
Red Fort blast case: Delhi court to hear NIA chargesheet on June 4

New Delhi, May 14: A Delhi court is scheduled to hear on June 4 the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) voluminous chargesheet filed in connection with the deadly Red Fort blast case that claimed 11 lives and left several others injured.
The chargesheet, running into around 7,500 pages, was filed earlier on Thursday by the anti-terror agency before the Patiala House Court against 10 accused under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
The high-intensity Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) explosion had taken place near the Red Fort area on November 10, 2025, triggering a nationwide security alert and causing extensive damage to surrounding property.
According to the NIA, all the accused named in the prosecution complaint were allegedly associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an outfit considered an offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Among those named in the chargesheet is the alleged mastermind, Dr Umer Un Nabi, a Pulwama-based former Assistant Professor of Medicine at Al-Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad, who was killed in the blast. The agency has proposed the abatement of charges against him.
The other accused arrayed in the chargesheet include Aamir Rashid Mir, Jasir Bilal Wani, Dr Muzamil Shakeel, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, Soyab, Dr Bilal Naseer Malla and Yasir Ahmad Dar.
The anti-terror agency said its investigation was spread across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and the Delhi-NCR region, and included examination of 588 witnesses, over 395 documentary records and more than 200 seized exhibits and material objects.
Earlier in March, the Patiala House Court had granted the NIA an additional 45 days to complete its probe in the case after the probe agency submitted that crucial new leads had emerged and a large volume of digital evidence was under examination.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: DRI Arrests 2 Passengers For Allegedly Smuggling Diamonds Worth ₹5.70 Crore To Bangkok At CSMIA

Mumbai: The officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) arrested two persons for allegedly attempting to smuggle diamonds worth Rs 5.70 crore to Bangkok.
Those arrested have been identified as Tamil Nadu residents Imthiyas Mohamed Marsuk (28) and Saibu Alikhan Sheik (31).
According to DRI sources, specific intelligence was received that two passengers, Imthiyas Mohamed Marsuk and Saibu Alikhan Sheik, flying from Mumbai to Bangkok on Monday, would attempt to smuggle a huge quantity of diamonds out of India. They were intercepted near the departure gate.
They informed the officials that they had concealed some packages in their body. During the X-ray of the passengers, some images were seen which confirmed the concealment of some egg-shaped items in their body. After that, the passengers were asked to remove the packages from their body, which they obliged and removed one by one from their rectum.
Total four egg-shaped capsules were recovered from the passengers and, on further questioning by the officers, both passengers stated that the packages contained precious stones and diamonds.
They further informed that no declaration had been made to Customs regarding the said stones purported to be diamonds and that they were not carrying any valid documents relating to their purchase, possession, and export permission.
The said capsules were carefully cut, and 20 transparent pouches with different markings containing transparent glass-like stones purported to be diamonds were found in the said 20 pouches.
“Both the passengers claimed that the said diamonds were handed over by one unknown person in Mumbai (at the behest of the mastermind) for transportation to Bangkok in lieu of Rs 15,000 each. They admitted to being part of the same smuggling syndicate as carriers,” said a DRI source.
“In the ongoing investigation, more pieces of evidence are being gathered, and the same need to be investigated. Other key members of the syndicate are yet to be apprehended, and all-out efforts are being made in this regard. Further, sources for the purchase of the diamonds are yet to be investigated. The ongoing investigation is crucial to dismantling this international smuggling network and we are gathering additional evidence to identify and apprehend other key members of the syndicate, which could have far-reaching implications for international security and economic stability,” the officer added.
Crime
Powai Police Arrest 2 In Karjat Fake Resort Booking Scam; Merchant Navy Officer Duped Of ₹12,000

Mumbai: The Powai police have arrested two men from Pimpri-Chinchwad and Beed district for their alleged involvement in a fake hotel and resort booking scam in which a 53-year-old Powai resident was cheated of Rs 12,000 while attempting to book a resort in Karjat in January.
The police said that the accused were identified as Kunal Gaikwad (21), a college dropout from Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Datta Kedar (23), a graduate from Beed.
According to police, the duo provided their bank account and SIM card to the cyber fraud racket, which used them to carry out the scam. Gaikwad was arrested on May 5, while Kedar was arrested on March 25.
Police said the complainant, who works in the Merchant Navy, came across a fake website of Urivergate Resort while searching online for accommodation.
After contacting the number listed on the website, he was asked to pay an advance of Rs 12,000 for booking two rooms. The accused allegedly sent a Google Pay QR code through WhatsApp, and the amount was transferred to an account linked to “Kunal Confectionery.”
Investigators tracked the QR code, SIM details and bank account to trace the accused. Police said two more persons involved in the racket are absconding. Both arrested accused are in judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected.
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