A telecom engineer named Pramod Kumar was digitally arrested in the city on Wednesday. As per information, he was digitally arrested for six hours and the accused demanded a sum of Rs 3.5 lakh from him. As per information, he received a call that his phone number is being misused in a crime for which he can be jailed. Hearing the same, the victim got scared and fell prey to the arrest. Notably, this is the second digital arrest in a week. Earlier in another incident, a businessman named Vivek Oberoi was digitally arrested on November 9. In the words of Pramod Kumar, “From 6:30 in the evening, some fake calls were being dialled where blackmailing me. The fraudsters told me that my mobile number is being misused in a fake Aadhaar card which can get me behind bars and can invite further trouble.” He further told that the fraudsters further asked him to pay Rs 3.5 lakh as a fine for the same.

 

“I got scared,” he said. Promptly, he also informed the police about the incident after the police team arrived and took the matter into their cognizance along with doing counselling of Kumar. According to cops, a tip off was received that Pramod Kumar who was residing near Bajariya was called by the accused faking as police personnel and was kept at digital arrest for six hours. Acting upon the situation, the Crime Branch personnel reached the spot and explained the victim about the incident. “We have started the enquiry and have constituted teams to trace the numbers, the cops said. A sum of Rs 3.5 lakhs was demanded. “The victim has been taken into confidence of the Crime Branch and will be taking adequate actions to nab the accused,” the cops told. Police Commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra stated that the accused were constantly blackmailing the victim and was kept in dark. They were successful in pretending and making the individual believe that they are the representatives of police and Income Tax Department along with a lawyer. As per him, the information to the police came from his friends who became suspicious of his activities.

 

“The victim was not talking to his friends and families after which the friends became suspicious and informed the police.” He said. Mishra further mentioned, “The victim was an engineer by profession and had good technical knowledge and was under pressure. They kept the victim under arrest for six hours, interrogating him and pressing him for transferring money in their bank accounts. Prima facie, on the video call, three accused have been identified but the Crime Branch is searching for any other intruder involved in the same.” Notably, in the incident of digital arrest in Arera Colony that on November 9, the person’s acquaintance Rajiv Oberoi informed the cyber police about his digital arrest. The police team reached the house of the victim Vivek Oberoi (who is a corporate sector entrepreneur in Dubai) in Arera Colony without wasting a moment.

 

The team found that the victim has been digitally arrested by unknown cyber fraudsters posing as ED, CBI officers and calling from virtual numbers of Dubai and Syria. He was kept digitally arrested in a room of his own house for six hours from 1 pm. The cyber fraudsters took personal information and banking details of the victim and his family and threatened to arrest them and harm the family members if they did not tell anyone. When the cyber police raided, the fraudsters immediately disconnected the video call. The team counselled the victim properly and got him out of the virtual world of digital arrest of his phone and laptop.