For 14 days, a 67-year-old retired lab technician from Mulund lived under what police now call a “digital arrest.”
He wasn’t confined by walls or handcuffs — but by fear, deception, and a steady stream of video calls from men claiming to be law-enforcement officers.
It began with a phone call on September 23. The caller identified himself as Sub-Inspector Sandeep Rao from the Panchavati police station in Nashik. He sent the senior citizen photos of an identity card on WhatsApp and claimed the man was under investigation for links to Abu Salem Abdul Qayyum Ansari, the underworld figure convicted in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
By the time it ended on October 7, the fraudsters had forced the victim to transfer ₹74 lakh — his life savings — to accounts they controlled.
The Anatomy of a Fear-Driven Scam
According to the East Region Cyber Police, the scammers spun a detailed narrative: they claimed a nationalised bank account opened in the victim’s name had received illicit funds from Abu Salem as a “10 per cent commission.”
They warned that Supreme Court orders had been issued for his arrest.
During repeated video interrogations, the men brandished images of wanted criminals and doctored ATM cards to prove their case. They told the retiree he was part of an organisation “acting against the interests of the country” and demanded that he remain in isolation until cleared.
Over the following fortnight, they monitored him via camera, forbade contact with family, and extracted confidential banking information. Believing the investigation was genuine, he moved his savings and fixed deposits — more than ₹74 lakh — into accounts they provided, assured that the money would be returned by October 13 once his name was cleared.
When the Illusion Collapsed
No money returned. When his calls went unanswered, the Mulund resident realised he had been conned and contacted authorities through the national Cyber Helpline.
The case has since been registered under sections 204, 318, 319, 336, and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.
Police say the fraudsters used virtual intimidation tactics perfected over years of similar scams.
“They create total psychological control,” said one investigating officer. “The victim truly believes he is under watch and in danger of arrest.”
A Broader Pattern of ‘Digital Arrests’
This case is part of a rising wave of digital-arrest fraud across India, where scammers impersonate police or government agencies to extort money from ordinary citizens. Victims are told their accounts are linked to crimes — money-laundering, drug trade, or terror financing — and are isolated under the guise of an “investigation.”
Cyber officials warn that such scams exploit trust in authority and fear of criminal prosecution.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court sought nationwide data on all pending “digital arrest” cases amid concerns that these sophisticated cons are evolving faster than enforcement mechanisms.
For the Mulund retiree, the experience has left a deep scar. “He didn’t step out for two weeks because they told him he’d be arrested,” said a relative. “He thought he was helping the police. He was just alone — and afraid.”
