A 90-year-old former district judge in Jaipur was allegedly cheated of around ₹2.50 crore after cyber fraudsters placed him under a so-called “digital arrest” and threatened him with arrest in a fabricated hawala case. The accused allegedly posed as a CBI officer from Mumbai and later as an RBI manager, using WhatsApp video calls to intimidate the retired judge and obtain his financial details. The fraud was exposed when an SBI bank manager became suspicious of a proposed withdrawal from the victim’s PPF account and stopped the transaction.
The complaint was filed by Ravindra Singh Mohanot, nephew of former judge Ganpat Singh Bhandari, 90. The Jyoti Nagar police registered an FIR on Wednesday evening and have begun investigating the case. According to the FIR, Bhandari received a WhatsApp video call on July 28 from a mobile number. The caller was allegedly dressed in a police uniform and introduced himself as a CBI officer from Mumbai.
The caller allegedly claimed that investigators had uncovered a ₹50 crore hawala transaction in Mumbai and that ₹40 lakh from the alleged transaction had been transferred to Bhandari’s SBI account. He allegedly threatened the retired judge with arrest and said he could be taken to Mumbai for questioning if he failed to cooperate with the investigation.
The fraudsters also allegedly instructed Bhandari not to inform any family members about the matter, warning that relatives could also be questioned. This reportedly isolated the elderly victim and allowed the alleged fraud to continue without immediate intervention from his family.
Soon afterwards, another person allegedly contacted Bhandari through WhatsApp and introduced himself as an RBI manager. He claimed that the alleged hawala funds had been invested in mutual funds and demanded details of Bhandari’s investments and other financial documents.
Fearing arrest and believing that he was assisting a genuine investigation, Bhandari allegedly shared the requested information with the callers. The fraudsters then instructed him to transfer money to several bank accounts, claiming that the transactions were required as part of the investigation.
According to the complaint, several payments were subsequently made from Bhandari’s SBI account at the Gandhi Nagar branch. The accused allegedly maintained pressure on him throughout the process and instructed him to delete WhatsApp chats, call logs and other messages after conversations. The directions allegedly prevented his family from discovering the fraud for several days.
The case took a crucial turn when the fraudsters allegedly directed Bhandari to withdraw money from his PPF account as well. He went to SBI’s Johari Bazaar branch on Thursday morning to initiate the transaction. The bank manager noticed that the transaction appeared suspicious and questioned him about the reason for the withdrawal.
After learning about the alleged CBI investigation and the instructions Bhandari had received, the bank manager reportedly realised that he could be a victim of cyber fraud. The manager stopped the PPF transaction and advised Bhandari to contact his family. Bhandari subsequently informed his nephew, who collected the details and approached the police.
The police have registered a case under Sections 318(4) and 319(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 66D of the Information Technology Act. Investigators are examining the bank accounts, mobile numbers and digital communication channels allegedly used in the fraud.
Cybercrime expert and former IPS officer Prof. Triveni Singh said digital arrest scams typically begin with impersonation of government officials and quickly shift to psychological pressure. Fraudsters create fear of arrest, prevent victims from contacting relatives and then use the fabricated investigation to obtain sensitive financial information or force money transfers.
The Jaipur case follows a familiar pattern in which the accused allegedly used the identities of CBI and RBI officials to create both credibility and fear. The use of police-style video calls, official terminology and repeated instructions appears to have been aimed at convincing the elderly victim that he was involved in a serious financial investigation.
Law-enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned that government agencies such as the CBI, ED, RBI and police do not conduct “digital arrests” through WhatsApp video calls. Officials do not ask people to transfer money to private bank accounts as part of an investigation.
The vigilance of the SBI manager ultimately prevented further loss from the PPF account. Police are now working to identify the individuals behind the calls and trace the money already transferred. The investigation will also determine whether the accused used other bank accounts or victims as part of a wider cyber fraud network.
