Cyber fraudster held for hacking mobile phone of Kannada actor Upendra, his wife
Bengaluru (PTI): In a major breakthrough, the city police have arrested a cybercriminal from Bihar, who allegedly hacked the mobile phones of Sandalwood actor Upendra and his wife, actress Priyanka Upendra, and cheated several people by impersonating them on WhatsApp, police sources said.
The accused, Vikas Kumar, was brought to Bengaluru after being traced to Dashrathpur village in Bihar.
The incident took place on September 15, when Priyanka Upendra, who had ordered some items online, received a suspicious link on her mobile phone. Believing it to be genuine, she clicked on it, allowing hackers to gain remote access to her WhatsApp account.
Soon after, several of her contacts began receiving fraudulent messages, requesting an urgent transfer of Rs 55,000, supposedly for an emergency.
Unaware of the fraud, a few acquaintances, including the couple’s own son, transferred money to the account details mentioned in the messages.
When some of them tried calling Priyanka to confirm, their calls were abruptly disconnected—further deepening the deception. Within a short span, the fraudsters had managed to siphon off nearly Rs 1.5 lakh.
Realising something was wrong, Priyanka immediately informed her husband and their manager. However, by then, both of their phones had also been compromised by the same hackers.
The couple then approached the Sadashivanagar Police Station, where a formal complaint was lodged.
The police launched a coordinated investigation along with the Central Division Cyber Crime Unit, tracking digital footprints to Bihar.
Their probe revealed that the hackers belonged to Dashrathpur village, notorious for cyber scams, where dozens of young men aged between 20 and 25 are reportedly engaged in online fraud.
Officers who visited the area were shocked to discover that around 150 youths from the village were actively involved in similar crimes targeting victims across the country.
Based on the technical evidence and surveillance inputs, the team zeroed in on Vikas Kumar, who was subsequently arrested and brought to Bengaluru for questioning.
He is currently under police custody, and further investigation is underway to identify his associates and their network behind the cyber fraud.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
