In a latest case of digital arrest fraud, a former MLA from Karnataka has allegedly lost Rs 31 lakh after going through an elaborate courtroom drama complete with fake officers, judges, and legal proceedings, the police said on Wednesday.
The victim, Gundappa Vakil, a former BJP MLA from Aurad constituency in Bidar district, allegedly lost the money in the scam between August 12 and 18, the police said. The incident came to light after Vakil lodged a complaint with the cybercrime police on September 6.
According to the police, a man posing as a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer contacted Vakil over his mobile phone on August 12 and accused the former legislator of money laundering. He alleged that bank accounts and debit cards in Vakil’s name had surfaced during a raid on Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal’s house and threatened Vakil with immediate arrest.
A frightened Vakil shared his property and bank credentials with the ‘CBI officer’ who transferred the call to one ‘Neeraj Kumar’, who claimed to be the Deputy Commissioner of Police, the police said.
While Vakil pleaded innocence, ‘Neeraj Kumar’ gave him ‘relief’, stating that they would conduct a virtual investigation considering his age. Stating that he would be placed under ‘digital arrest’, the fake officer warned that the former MLA would be kept under constant surveillance through WhatsApp video calls, with strict warnings against informing anyone about the “highly sensitive” case.
On August 13, Vakil was produced before a fake judge online. After staged arguments and hearings, the “judge” ordered him to write an undertaking declaring his innocence and subsequently directed him to transfer Rs 10.99 lakh through RTGS to verify his credentials.
Following the initial payment, the psychological pressure intensified. Officers “Neeraj Kumar” and “Sandeep Kumar” allegedly conducted daily interrogations from August 14, systematically extracting details about family members, their bank accounts, and other sensitive information.
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“Four days later, the victim was again presented before the fake judge, and this time, the ‘court’ ordered a Rs 20 lakh deposit, supposedly required for the Directorate of Enforcement and CBI to investigate his properties and bank accounts. The judge assured the money would be returned after verification. Trusting the elaborate setup, the victim transferred the additional amount on August 18,” said an officer.
However, later Vakil informed the family members and friends who ‘enlightened’ him about the cybercrime, which has been ongoing for years.
A police officer said that the accused had flashed fake ID cards, arrest warrants, and case documents during the video call, which made Vakil believe that it was all real.