Karnataka BJP MP's wife duped of ₹14 lakh in digital arrest scam, recovered later by police: Report

Preethi Sudhakar had received a WhatsApp video call from fraudsters posing as Mumbai Cyber Crime officials.

Published on: Sep 22, 2025, 16:34:00 IST

By HT News Desk

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Chikkaballapur BJP MP and former Karnataka minister K Sudhakar's wife, Preethi Sudhakar, lost about ₹14 lakh after she fell prey to a “digital arrest” scam, India Today reported.

The money was later recovered by the police as efforts to trace the accused continue.

According to a press release issued by the police, the incident took place on August 26 when Preethi Sudhakar received a WhatsApp video call from fraudsters posing as Mumbai Cyber Crime officials.

Also Read | Retired banker loses ₹23 crore in Delhi digital arrest fraud

They claimed that her bank account was linked to illegal international transactions and told her she would be arrested unless she transferred money to a “verification” account.

They assured her the funds would be refunded within 45 minutes as per the rules of the Reserve Bank of India. Fearing arrest, she transferred ₹14 lakh from her account to an unknown account of Yes Bank.

Also Read | Noida man loses ₹1.7crore to cyber frauds

According to India Today, after realising that she had been a victim of fraud, Preethi Sudhakar approached the West Division Cyber Crime Police Station the same evening.

Acting swiftly within the “golden hour,” investigators assisted her in registering the case on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal helpline 1930 and promptly froze the recipient account.

On September 3, the 47th ACJM Court directed Yes Bank to return the frozen funds to the bank accounts, which was done within a week.

According to the report, a first information report (FIR) has been filed in connection with the case and the police are tracing the accused.

The Bengaluru Police have also urged the public to act quickly in similar situations and call the NCRP helpline—1930—to lodge a complaint without delay. The police said this maximises the chances of recovering lost money.

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