The Pimpri-Chinchwad police reunited a distressed woman with her family within 15 hours of getting the alert of her being reported missing. The woman, who had left her home after falling victim to a cyber fraud involving ₹3.15 lakh in an online share market scam, was traced at Surat railway station in Gujarat.
According to the police, Poonam Arun Kate, 30, of Rupi Housing Society in Chikhali reportedly became a victim of an online share market fraud when she was searching for share market investment information on the internet.
On July 30, she received a call from an unknown number promising handsome returns on investment. Initially, she invested ₹2,000 and received ₹2,500 within one hour. By gaining confidence, the caller lured her to invest more money and the latter transferred ₹3.12 lakh through various transactions. Having lost over ₹3.5 lakh, the woman experienced emotional distress and left her home during the afternoon on July 31. In the evening, she sent a message to her husband to not search for her as she has left home with her own will.
Her husband alerted the police who launched an immediate search operation to locate her. Police tracked the woman’s call records and CCTV camera footages.
{{/usCountry}}Her husband alerted the police who launched an immediate search operation to locate her. Police tracked the woman’s call records and CCTV camera footages.
{{/usCountry}}A CCTV camera footage found the woman at Akurdi railway station at around 6:45 pm on July 31. As her mobile was switched off, police were unable to get her location. Hence, police sent messages on her mobile to get her location once she switched on her mobile. At 10:30 pm on July 31, her mobile was traced at Lonavla and later at Karjat area at around 11:15 pm.
Dyneshwar Katkar, senior inspector, Chikhali police station, said, “Considering her location track from Akurdi, Lonavla to Karjat, we confirmed that she was travelling towards Mumbai and alerted the railway police on the Mumbai track.”
Around 12:30 pm, she switched on and off her mobile as a result of which police got her location in Bhiwandi. Later police confirmed that Kate was in the Pune to Bhuj train. Later, Kate was found by the authorities at Surat railway station at around 3.30 am on August 1.
Katkar said, “Due to coordination of Pimpri-Chinchwad police, railway police, railway department, Gujarat railway police we have successfully reunited the woman with her family.”