Pensioner Loses ₹44 Lakh in Digital Arrest Scam
Another accused, posing as a CBI officer, instructed the victim to transfer his money to a bank account.
Hyderabad: A 71 year old BHEL pensioner lost his retirement savings of ₹44 lakh to fraudsters who placed him under an illegal and fraudulent “digital arrest”. The gang staged an elaborate drama, including a fake courtroom scene, to threaten and mislead the victim, warning him of arrest if he spoke to anyone.
After paying out ₹44 lakh, the Tarnaka resident approached the city cybercrime police, who registered a case and began investigations.
According to police, the victim first received a call from a man posing as a senior adviser of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), claiming a case had been filed in Mumbai for misuse of personal information and circulation of obscene material. The next day, another caller, claiming to be from the Mumbai Crime Branch, alleged that the owner of a defunct airline had transferred ₹5.43 crore to the pensioner’s account, with ₹25 lakh paid as commission.
The suspect, dressed as a police officer, then staged a live WhatsApp call to a purported courtroom where people masqueraded as judges, lawyers and police officers. The “magistrate” demanded an affidavit and financial details, signing an order in the name of a former Chief Justice of India, described as “special judge, PMLA, special court, High Court of Mumbai”.
Another accused, posing as a CBI officer, instructed the victim to transfer his money to a bank account. Unable to bear the threats and seeing no progress, the pensioner finally confided in his family, who took him to the police to lodge a complaint.
Drunk driving accused booked for SUV theft bid
A 23 year old man, caught during a drunk driving check and his SUV seized, allegedly tried to steal the vehicle from police custody by having it towed away in Banjara Hills.
The complaint was lodged by home guard D. Satyanarayana of the Banjara Hills traffic police, who was posted to guard seized vehicles at the open parking lot. The SUV had been impounded on February 22 during a drunk driving check.
During inquiry, the towing vehicle driver stated that the SUV’s owner, N. Satyanarayana Reddy, 23, had asked him to tow it away. Reddy had earlier been caught driving with a blood alcohol reading of 61, against the legal cap of 30, and a case was booked against him. The SUV was in police custody.
Based on the complaint, Punjagutta police registered a theft case against Reddy and others and launched a probe.
Home guard, passenger killed in Banjara Hills crash
A 40 year old traffic home guard and a 20 year old woman were killed when a speeding water tanker rammed their bike in Banjara Hills on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Sayed Hussain, home guard at Santoshnagar traffic police station, and Akshitha, a native of Vizianagaram.
Police said Hussain, who supplemented his meagre salary by working as a Rapido driver, had picked up Akshitha for a ride to Punjagutta after finishing duty. As they reached a curve near Vengalrao Park, a water laden tanker hit the bike from behind, running over both victims. They died on the spot.
Preliminary inquiry revealed the tanker driver was rash and negligent, unable to control the vehicle while negotiating the curve. Police seized the tanker and took the driver into custody.
Officials noted that part time jobs by home guards violate the Telangana Home Guards Act, which deems them public servants assisting police officers. Despite this, many take up extra work to support their families given low pay.
