Mumbai, March 31 (NationPress) In a disturbing incident of cybercrime, a 69-year-old retired senior officer residing in DN Nagar, Andheri, Mumbai, experienced a 'digital arrest' lasting 25 days, resulting in a staggering loss of Rs 1.57 crore to fraudsters masquerading as police and court officials. The perpetrators even conducted a sham court session via video call, invoking the name of a former Supreme Court judge to instill fear into the victim.

As per the Mumbai Police, they acted promptly following the victim’s report, leading to the arrest of an auto-rickshaw driver named Ashok Pal, who was instrumental in the scam. He allegedly permitted the criminals to utilize his bank account to transfer the stolen funds in return for a commission.

The ordeal began on December 6, 2025, when the victim received a call from an individual claiming to be Sanjay Kumar Gupta, an official from the Department of Telecommunications. The caller accused the victim of sending objectionable MMS messages from his mobile number and stated that a case had been filed against him at the Bandra Crime Branch.

The call was then handed over to another individual impersonating a police officer, Pradeep Sawant, who directed the victim to visit a police station in the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC). The fraudsters intensified the threat by falsely implicating him in a money laundering case, linking him to businessman Naresh Goyal, and mentioning an alleged investigation led by another officer named Vijay Khanna to amplify the urgency and fear.

To lend authenticity to their claims, the fraudsters created a fake courtroom environment during a video call, presenting it as proceedings guided by former Chief Justice of India B.S. Gavai. The victim was coerced with threats of legal actions and immediate arrest if he did not comply.

Under significant psychological duress, the fraudsters instructed the victim to move all his assets, including fixed deposits, mutual funds, and savings, into specified bank accounts for “verification” during the investigation. Fearing arrest, the victim complied and transferred Rs 1.57 crore in various transactions between December 8, 2025, and January 3, 2026.

The fraud was exposed when the calls from the fraudsters abruptly ceased after the transfers, raising doubts. After consulting with family and friends, the victim approached the Cyber Cell and filed a formal complaint.

During the investigation, police traced the money and discovered that a large portion of it had been funneled through Ashok Pal’s bank account. Upon questioning, he confessed to allowing cybercriminals to use his account for a commission.

Authorities have arrested Pal and are actively working to identify and apprehend other members of the fraud syndicate.

Officials have issued a public warning, advising citizens to be cautious of such scams. They stressed that no genuine government agency or law enforcement body requests money transfers via phone or video calls. Terms like “digital arrest” or “online court proceedings” in this context are entirely fraudulent.

Citizens are urged not to panic upon receiving suspicious calls and to verify claims through official channels. In case of suspected cyber fraud, individuals should promptly report the incident to the national cybercrime helpline at 1930.