Ghaziabad: Couple put under digital arrest for nine days, ₹14.76 lakh extorted

Ghaziabad: A couple at Shalimar Garden in Sahibabad was allegedly held under digital arrest by suspects, posing as police and court officials, for nine days and forced to transfer ₹14

Ghaziabad: A couple at Shalimar Garden in Sahibabad was allegedly held under digital arrest by suspects, posing as police and court officials, for nine days and forced to transfer ₹14.76 lakh, police said Thursday.

A 57-year-old woman said that unidentified suspects posing as police officers called her husband’s mobile on October 1, claiming their documents had been misused for money laundering. (Representational image)

In the police complaint, a 57-year-old woman said that unidentified suspects posing as police officers called her husband’s mobile on October 1, claiming their documents had been misused for money laundering.

“I also received a video call in which two persons said they were calling from a court. They said they knew where we lived, and we were trapped in a case. They put us under digital arrest for about nine days, took daily updates of our activities… they also threatened that my daughter could get kidnapped from her school if money is not transferred,” the complainant read.

After the threats, the woman made an RTGS transfer of ₹14.76 lakhs on October 9 to an account provided by the callers. The complainant stated that as soon as she transferred the money, the suspects switched off their mobile phones.

The woman approached the police, and officials registered an FIR under BNS sections 318(4) (cheating), 308 (extortion), and 204 (personating a public servant), as well as under the IT Act, against the unidentified persons on October 13. HT has seen a copy of the FIR.

Officials from the crime branch said an investigation is underway.

“We have initiated proceedings to trace the suspects based on mobile numbers and bank accounts. We have also frozen about ₹10 lakhs of money transferred into the account,” said Piyush Kumar Singh, additional DCP (crime).