BJP MP Sudhakar’s wife loses Rs 14 lakh via 'digital arrest', money recovered
Bengaluru, Sep 23 (PTI): In a swift operation, the Bengaluru police have recovered Rs 14 lakh which BJP Chikkaballapura MP K Sudhakar’s wife Preeti had lost in a cyber fraud through 'digital arrest'.
According to police, the incident took place on August 26.
Digital arrest is a cyber scam in which fraudsters impersonate police or enforcement agency officials and threaten victims through WhatsApp video calls, claiming they are booked in criminal cases.
Preeti (44), resident of Basaveshwaranagar, Bengaluru, received a WhatsApp call from cyber fraudsters posing as officials from the Mumbai Cyber Crime Police.
The fraudsters told her that there had been an illegal transfer of money from her bank account. They would send her money to the RBI for verification and would transfer it back to her account within 45 minutes. The scamsters also said that if she failed to transfer the money to the account they had specified, she would be arrested.
"By threatening, they got a total of Rs 14 lakh transferred from the complainant’s HDFC Bank account to an unknown YES Bank account and committed fraud," the police said.
Later, the same evening, Preeti lodged a complaint with the police. The complainant also made a call to the National Cyber Helpline (NCRP) number 1930 within the ‘Golden Hour’ and lodged a complaint, police said.
Accordingly, a case was registered and an investigation was taken up.
As a result, the money transferred to the accused’s account was frozen. On September 3, the 47th ACJM Court issued an order directing YES Bank authorities to return the frozen amount to the complainant’s account.
"Acting on the order, the entire lost amount of Rs 14 lakh was returned to the complainant," a press note said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police of West Division, Girish S, told reporters that efforts are on to trace the accused.
He also appealed to people not to panic if they fall victim to such scams.
"If a complaint is immediately lodged (within Golden Hour) with the National Cyber Helpline (NCRP) number 1930, and a case is registered at the nearest police station without delay, prompt action can be taken to prevent losses," he said.
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Commission agent's licence suspended in Meerut for storing veggies in toilet
Meerut (UP) (PTI): The market administration in Meerut has suspended the licence of a commission agent or ‘arhtiya’ for storing vegetables inside a defunct toilet at the Mawana Naveen Sabzi Mandi in the city, officials said on Sunday.
The action followed after a video went viral showing vegetables, including tomato, ladyfinger, green chilli, coriander, mint and bottle gourd – packed in polythene bags inside an unused toilet on the market premises.
The secretary of the Mandi committee, Arjun Singh, told PTI that the toilet had been out of use for a long time due to being clogged.
“Abhay Kumar, the proprietor of Pradhan Trading Company, stored leftover vegetables there without permission. Within two hours of receiving information on May 15, a team from the Mandi committee reached the spot, seized about one quintal of vegetables, and buried them in a pit,” Singh said.
A notice was issued to Abhay Kumar, but since no satisfactory response was received, his licence has been suspended, he added.
According to officials, toilets in the market complex meant for use by farmers, commission agents and customers were allegedly being used as storerooms.
Following the incident, SDM Santosh Kumar Singh has sought an explanation from the Mandi committee secretary.
Strict action would be taken against those found guilty after an inquiry report is received, the SDM said.
