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
Trinamool-linked woman panchayat chief among 3 arrested in Bengal Cong leader murder case (Lead)

Kolkata, Aug 16: The police on Sunday arrested three persons, including one Trinamool Congress village panchayat chief, in connection with the murder of a Congress leader, Anisur Rahman, and his 24-year-old son Abu Sufian at Bethuadahari under Nakashipara Police Station in West Bengal’s Nadia district.
The incident had happened late Saturday night. Fatema Bibi, the head of Haranagar village panchayat in Nadia district, was one of the three persons arrested here. Her husband, Jubbar Sheikh, an influential Trinamool leader in the area, has been in judicial custody, and the local Congress leadership accused him of being the mastermind behind the murders of Anisur Rahman and Abu Sufian.
In addition, two of Fatema’s associates, namely Ali Mandal and Mithun Sheikh, have also been arrested. They have already been produced in the court after a medical examination in the morning. The police have sought custody for three of them.
It is learnt that Anisur Rahman and Abu Sufian were returning home in a four-wheeler on Saturday night. At that time, the miscreants blocked their road and allegedly fired several rounds of bullets. The car was forcibly stopped, and the father and son were beaten with sharp weapons. According to sources, both died on the spot due to excessive bleeding.
After receiving information about this incident, the police from the Nakashipara police station reached the spot.
The Congress leadership in the Nadia district has claimed that the country’s oldest national party was fast occupying the principal opposition space in the district after the landslide defeat of the previous ruling party, Trinamool Congress, in the recently concluded Assembly polls.
“Anisur Rahman and his son were playing the key role in regaining our party’s space as the principal opposition force in the state. That is exactly why the father and the son became an eyesore for the local Trinamool Congress leadership, especially Fatema Bibi and his currently jailed husband, who had always been involved with all sorts of notorious and anti-social activities in the district. But no one expected that the sequence of events would take such a nasty turn. It was not just a simple murder. The assassin rather wanted to leave a message through the ghastly manner in which the father and his son were killed,” said a local Congress leader.
West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee was observing a ‘black day’ throughout the state as a mark of protest against the assassination. Both the current and former state Congress presidents, Suvankar Sarkar and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, have demanded a speedy probe in the matter and the strictest punishment for those involved in the murder.
Crime
MCD sanitation worker stabbed to death in Delhi Kalyanpuri; accused at large

New Delhi, Aug 16: A sanitation worker employed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was stabbed to death while on duty in Delhi’s Kalyanpuri area on Sunday morning.
CCTV footage reportedly shows the accused attacking the sanitation worker with a knife. A Delhi Police team is currently examining the footage and other evidence to trace the assailant.
The deceased has been identified as 24-year-old Anil Kumar, an MCD sanitation worker. According to preliminary information, Anil was performing his duties in Kalyanpuri around 7 a.m. on Sunday when he was attacked with a knife, officials said.
The accused fled the scene after the incident.
Upon receiving the information, the police arrived at the scene and initiated an investigation. Officials said that multiple teams have been formed to apprehend the accused using the CCTV footage.
Following the incident, BJP Trilokpuri MLA Ravi Kant visited the site and condoled the death of the worker.
Speaking to media , he described it as a “deeply tragic” event. “While the rest of Delhi sleeps, it is these workers who perform the task of waking the city up. We stand in solidarity with the victim’s family,” he said.
The BJP MLA stated that the perpetrator has been identified and that strict action will be taken against him.
Kant further said, “I have seen the CCTV footage. Anil was doing his job when the accused suddenly approached and attacked him.”
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar spoke to media, stating, “A sanitation worker was brazenly murdered in Kalyanpuri. Has Kalyanpuri become the crime capital? Murders are taking place all over Delhi.”
“Think about the plight of the family of a sanitation worker who performs his job. When he collects garbage, it is not because he enjoys the work; due to financial circumstances and the inability to find other employment, he is compelled to collect garbage. He has been murdered,” Kumar said.
He further demanded a police encounter of the accused to “set a precedent and ensure no one else commits such a crime”.
The AAP MLA also demanded that the victim’s family be provided with compensation and that a family member be given a job.
Crime
Indian Navy sailor, wife and two children found dead at Mumbai residence

Mumbai, Aug 16: An Indian Navy sailor, his wife and their two minor children were found dead at their residence in Navy Nagar, Colaba, in south Mumbai, police said.
The incident was reported on August 15. According to preliminary information from the police, the sailor is suspected to have died by suicide, while the deaths of his wife and two children, aged two months and three years, are suspected to have resulted from poisoning. The exact circumstances surrounding the deaths are yet to be established.
Police said a post-mortem examination is being conducted and further investigation is underway. The findings of the post-mortem and other aspects of the investigation are expected to help establish the cause and sequence of the deaths.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Manish Kalwaniya said a prima facie investigation indicated that the sailor had died by hanging, while poisoning appeared to be the cause of death of his wife and children.
The Indian Navy has also confirmed the incident and said it is extending assistance to the investigation.
“In an unfortunate incident at Navy Nagar, Colaba, an Indian Navy sailor along with his wife and 2 children have been found dead at their residence on 15 Aug 26. Investigation is in progress by the Police and the Indian Navy is extending all possible assistance towards the same,” the Indian Navy said in a statement.
The incident has prompted an investigation by both the police and the Navy. Officials are examining the circumstances that preceded the deaths and other relevant evidence as part of the probe.
The identities of the deceased have not been disclosed in the information available so far.
Authorities are continuing their investigation, while the post-mortem examination is underway to determine the precise causes of death.
Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.
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