Bengaluru, Jul 16 (PTI): A 48-year-old Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) employee died by suicide after he allegedly fell prey to a "digital arrest" scam, losing Rs 11 lakh, police said on Wednesday.
Kumar K, who was employed on a contractual basis with BESCOM, hailed from Kelagere village in Channapatna taluk in Bengaluru South district, they said.
He was found hanging from a tree in his village on Tuesday, police said.
In the purported suicide note recovered from the spot, he has cited his health issues and harrasment by cyber fraudster in the name of digital arrest as the reason behind him taking the extreme step.
Digital arrest is a term used in cyber frauds where victims are falsely told they are under surveillance or legal custody through digital means. They are often isolated via continuous video or call surveillance by fraudsters posing as officials, and manipulated into following instructions without alerting others - often leading to extortion or fraud.
According to the police, in the death note, Kumar stated that he received a call from a man named Vikram Goswami who claimed to be a CBI officer and threatened him of digital arrest. The fraudster claimed he had an arrest warrant against Kumar and demanded money to evade digital arrest.
Owing to alleged harassment and fear of being arrested, Kumar initially deposited Rs 1.95 lakh as per the demands of the fraudster. However, he kept demanding more money, a senior police officer said, citing the note.
In total, Kumar claimed to have transferred Rs 11 lakh into several bank accounts as instructed by the fraudsters, he said.
M K Doddi police in Channapatna are investigating the matter and are looking into the allegations levelled by Kumar, the officer said.
"Only after analysing the bank transaction details of Kumar, we will be able to ascertain the exact amount that was transferred," he said.
Kumar is survived by his wife and an eight-year-old son, police added.
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Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.