Professor in Dehradun loses lakhs in digital arrest scam; cops investigate
Police registered an FIR against an unidentified persons under sections 308 (6) and 318 (4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act.
A professor at a private university in Dehradun allegedly fell prey to digital arrest and lost in lakhs to scammers who posed as officers from Mumbai Police, officials said.
The police registered an FIR against an unidentified persons under sections 308 (6) (extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc) and 318 (4) (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and 66-C and 66-D of the IT Act, at Cantt police station on May 20.
The complainant, an assistant professor at Dehradun, said her ordeal began around January end when she received a call from an unknown number. The caller introduced himself as a police officer from Mumbai and claimed that her Aadhaar card was linked to a criminal case, wherein her identity was misused to purchase a SIM card that was used to blackmail a woman.
According to the complainant, she initially ignored the caller saying he dialled the wrong number, but he persisted with repeated calls and eventually convinced her that she was involved in a legal case, and that the only way to avoid arrest was to cooperate.
She was asked to follow the instructions over a video call, where they pretended to “clear” her from the case. Soon after, she was contacted again, this time regarding her alleged involvement in a case where her identity was used to open a fraudulent bank account in Canara Bank. The scammers shared forged documents bearing her name and Aadhaar number, leaving her terrified.
“I was made to believe that I was under digital surveillance and a suspect in a serious case,” Singh said. “They told me I could not speak to anyone about this, or I would be arrested under the National Secrets Act. I was mentally harassed for several days.”
She further alleged that a woman, identifying herself as a senior police officer, later took over the communication and claimed to have digitally arrested her for three months. During this time, the complainant said she was coerced into transferring the amount in seven installments under the pretext of a refundable ‘security deposit’ until the case was resolved.
“I was told that someone was watching me, and though I was allowed to move around, I had to report my whereabouts every two hours,” she said. “As someone who lives alone and is not originally from Uttarakhand, I felt completely helpless.”
Kailash Chandra Bhatt, Cantt station house officer (SHO), said, “We have registered the case and our investigation into the matter is underway.”
