An 85-year-old retired scientist was cheated of ₹1.27 crore in a meticulously planned cyber fraud in which criminals impersonated senior law enforcement officials and subjected the victim to days of psychological pressure under the guise of a “digital arrest”. One accused has been arrested in the case, while investigators are expanding the probe to trace the wider network behind the high-value fraud.
Police said the arrested accused, Parshuram Dashrath Jagtap, allegedly played the role of a facilitator by providing his bank account to receive the defrauded money. Following his arrest, a court remanded him to police custody. Investigators said Jagtap was paid a fixed commission for allowing his account to be used to channel the funds siphoned off from the victim.
The victim, Man Mohan Jauhri (85), resides in the Juhu–Versova Link Road area of Andheri and is a retired officer of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, living on his pension. According to the complaint, the fraud began on October 30, 2025, when he received a phone call from a person identifying himself as Sandeep Rao, who claimed to be attached to a police station in Bengaluru.
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The caller alleged that a man named Sadqat Khan had been arrested in a money laundering case and that Jauhri’s ATM passbook had been recovered from the accused. He further claimed that suspicious transactions worth ₹75 lakh had been carried out in Jauhri’s name, warning that he would soon be questioned in connection with the alleged offence.
To intensify the pressure, the caller told the elderly man that the case was being jointly investigated by the Delhi Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation, and asserted that documentary evidence directly linked him to the crime. Police said the fraudsters deliberately framed the conversation to sound procedural and authoritative, leaving the victim confused and fearful.
Investigators said intimidation was central to the scam. Jauhri was warned that he could be arrested at any moment, that his family could face physical harm, and that his son’s employment could be jeopardised if he failed to cooperate. He was instructed to maintain absolute secrecy, avoid contacting anyone, and remain confined to a room while “cooperating” with the investigation, allegedly in the interest of national security.
Soon after, another caller contacted him through a video call, posing as a senior CBI officer. During the call, the impostor displayed forged documents, including a fake FIR and a fabricated arrest warrant bearing official insignia. To further bolster the illusion of legitimacy, the fraudsters sent scanned copies of forged government papers and legal notices to the victim.
Under sustained psychological pressure, Jauhri was told that all his bank accounts would be frozen immediately. The scammers claimed that, considering his age, he would be spared immediate arrest only if he followed their instructions precisely. He was then coerced into prematurely liquidating all his fixed deposits and transferring the funds to a bank account provided by them, on the pretext that the Supreme Court had ordered a comprehensive verification of his finances.
Between December 2 and December 10, 2025, fearing arrest and severe legal consequences, the elderly man transferred a total of ₹1.27 crore to the designated account. He was repeatedly assured that the money would be returned once the so-called investigation concluded. However, after the final transfer, all communication from the alleged officials abruptly stopped.
The fraud came to light only after Jauhri discussed the episode with a friend, who immediately recognised the pattern as a cyber scam and advised him to approach authorities. The victim subsequently contacted the cybercrime helpline and lodged a formal complaint with the Western Region Cyber Cell.
Based on his statement, police registered a case under relevant provisions relating to impersonation, cheating and offences under the Information Technology Act. Cyber investigators traced the trail of funds to the bank account held by Parshuram Jagtap, leading to his arrest.
Police said further investigation is underway to identify other members of the cyber fraud syndicate, trace additional mule accounts, and recover the cheated amount. Authorities have reiterated that no law enforcement agency conducts arrests or financial verifications over phone or video calls, and urged citizens—particularly senior citizens—to independently verify any claim of legal action with local police before transferring money or sharing financial details.
About the author – Rehan Khan is a law student and legal journalist with a keen interest in cybercrime, digital fraud, and emerging technology laws. He writes on the intersection of law, cybersecurity, and online safety, focusing on developments that impact individuals and institutions in India.
