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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Lahore (PTI): Pakistan's Punjab Police on Friday registered a case against unidentified gunmen for opening fire on Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) co-founder Amir Hamza, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack in Lahore.

On Thursday, two unidentified gunmen riding on a bike opened fire on the vehicle of the private TV channel 24NewsHD TV, owned by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, on Peco Road in Lahore near the TV channel's office.

In the attack, Hamza suffered bullet injuries.

"The FIR has been registered against unidentified gunmen, but it is sealed forthwith," a senior police officer told PTI.

He said the intelligence agencies have taken over this case from the police, and they are currently investigating the matter.

The channel's religious programme host Justice (retd.) Nazir Ahmed Ghazi and Hamza were in the vehicle when it was attacked. Hamza was shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Punjab police on Friday said that "upon receiving information about the incident, the SSP Operations immediately reached the scene and a high alert was imposed in the area. SSP Operations Tauqeer Naeem also met the affected individuals. Thankfully, all present in the vehicle remained safe during the firing."

It further said senior police officers of the Township and Chung, along with a heavy police contingent, were present at the scene.

"Police collected evidence from the site and initiated an investigation. Efforts to arrest the suspects are underway using CCTV footage and geo-fencing techniques. Search and sweep operations are being conducted at various locations, with scrutiny of suspicious individuals ongoing," police said.

It added that those involved in the incident will be traced and arrested soon.

The police sources said that Hamza has been shifted to his residence in Jauhar Town, Lahore, where police and agency personnel met him.

The leadership of the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML), a political front of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's banned Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD), including Hafiz Saeed's son Hafiz Talha Saeed, also called on him.

TV host retired Justice Ghazi, who remained unhurt in the attack, remained a legal counsel for Hafiz Saeed, they said.

The PMML has strongly condemned the attack on Hamza and demanded that those involved in the incident be arrested immediately.

Hamza is regarded as LeT's second most important leader after its chief Hafiz Saeed, who has been in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail since 2019 after getting convicted for several years in terror financing cases. 

Hamza has been designated as a terrorist by the US. In the past, he served as the head of LeT's "special campaigns" department.

In 2018, Hamza formed a fundraising group for the LeT following a ban on the JuD and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation by the Pakistani government.