Ludhiana: Posing as CBI officials, fraudsters extort ₹20 lakh from vet varsity prof

The scam began on July 2 when the victim received a call from a fraudster claiming to be a CBI officer based in Bengaluru; to make the claim appear authentic, the caller made a video call while dressed in an official uniform

A senior professor at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University fell prey to a cyber scam involving fabricated “digital arrest” after fraudsters posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials extorted ₹20 lakh from him.

Vet varsity professor was allegedly coerced into transferring the money to cybercriminals who claimed that his name had emerged in a human trafficking case. (HT Photo)

Victim Dalpat Singh Malik, professor in the department of livestock production management, was allegedly coerced into transferring the money to cybercriminals who claimed that his name had emerged in a human trafficking case. The fraudsters told him that two men arrested by the CBI had identified him as an accomplice, and an arrest warrant had been issued against him.

The scam began on July 2 when Malik received a call from a fraudster claiming to be a CBI officer based in Bengaluru. To make the claim appear authentic, the caller made a video call while dressed in an official uniform, with a CBI logo in the background. Malik, fearing arrest, was coerced into transferring ₹10 lakh into a bank account on July 3 under the guise of avoiding physical arrest.

The professor did not inform his family initially as he had been warned by the fraudsters to maintain silence or face immediate arrest. However, when he transferred another ₹10 lakh from a joint account he shares with his wife on July 15, she noticed the transaction and questioned him.

Malik’s wife, an advocate, found the situation suspicious and immediately consulted a police official known to her. The officer, pointing to digital arrest, confirmed that there is no such legal concept. A formal complaint was then lodged at the cyber crime police station.

Based on the complaint, police registered an FIR under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 319(2) (cheating by personation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified persons.

Inspector Satvir Singh of the cyber crime police station stated, “The professor was threatened with arrest and was made to believe he could avoid it by staying under digital arrest and paying ₹10 lakh. The accused manipulated him psychologically and convinced him through fake official visuals.”

Police are now investigating the case and working to trace the account holders who received the funds. “We are in the process of obtaining bank details and suspect that multiple mule accounts may have been used,” the inspector added.

Past case

In September 2024, cybercriminals had duped Vardhman Group chairman SP Oswal of ₹7 crore using a similar method. The crooks had impersonated ED officials and linked his name to a money laundering probe connected to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal. Though some arrests were made in that case, the mastermind remains at large.