Bhilwara: The city’s Cyber Thana Police Tuesday arrested a Gurgaon resident in connection with a Rs 32.75 lakh digital arrest fraud case in which fraudsters allegedly posed as fake CBI and police officers to extort money from a Bhilwara resident.District SP Dharmendra Singh said a special team was formed under the supervision of Bhilwara Cyber Thana officer and IPS probationer Ayush Kshotriya to trace and arrest those involved in the case registered at the cyber police station. According to police, the accused Anil Kumar is a history-sheeter of Police Thana Sector 9A in Gurgaon. He has been charge-sheeted in 15 cases at the same police station. Police said complainant Prahlad Rai Sodani lodged a report on May 14 at Subhash Nagar police station in Bhilwara city. In his complaint, he said that on March 27, he received a call claiming that a SIM card had been issued in Mumbai using his Aadhaar card and that obscene messages had been sent to girls through it. Investigators said the complainant was then subjected to continuous WhatsApp video calls from different numbers by people impersonating CBI judges and police officers. Through threats of “digital arrest,” the fraudsters allegedly coerced him into transferring Rs 22.5 lakh from his bank account on April 7. Police said the accused also got Rs 10.25 lakh transferred on April 10, after an FD was broken from the bank account of the complainant’s wife, Sushila. The total amount transferred under intimidation and continuous video calls reached Rs 32.75 lakh, police said. A case was registered under Sections 308(2), 318(4), 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 66D of the IT Act (Amendment 2008), after which an investigation was launched. During the probe, police conducted raids at multiple locations, detained Kumar, and later arrested him after interrogation. Police said they have secured over Rs 16 lakh lying in various bank accounts linked to the accused. They also obtained court orders for refund of over Rs 13 lakh from the frozen amount to the complainant.
