Gadag doctor held in 22-hour 'digital arrest' by cyber fraud gang
Gadag: In a disturbing case of cybercrime, a private doctor from Mulagund town in Karnataka’s Gadag district was subjected to a 22-hour-long digital arrest by a gang of cyber fraudsters posing as officials from a national investigative agency.
The incident took place on June 11 when Dr. S.C. Chavadi received a video call at 3:07 PM from individuals claiming to be officers of the "National Investigation Authority of India." They falsely accused him of being involved in a large-scale money laundering case via a Canara Bank account and claimed that a criminal case had been registered in his name at the Kaloba Police Station in Mumbai.
Despite Dr. Chavadi not having any account with Canara Bank, the fraudsters alleged that an arrest warrant had been issued against him. They instructed him to gather and share details of all his financial and property-related documents and warned him that he was under active investigation. To lend credibility to their claims, they even showed him the name and photograph of a local police officer from Mulagund.
In what is now being described as a digital arrest, Dr. Chavadi was kept under psychological pressure through continuous video calls for nearly 22 hours. An individual claiming to be an Inspector named Vijaykumar initially interrogated him and justified the remote questioning due to the doctor’s age. He was warned to remain silent about the matter and act normally with his family, as dangerous criminals, allegedly led by one Naresh Goyal, were "monitoring" him and could be near his home.
The next day around noon, another person claiming to be DCP Dayanayak resumed the video interrogation, telling Dr. Chavadi that the matter would be taken to the Supreme Court and that he would eventually need to appoint legal representation.
The ordeal ended only when locals, sensing something was wrong, alerted the police and rushed to Dr. Chavadi’s residence. Upon their arrival, they attempted to force open the door, prompting Dr. Chavadi to unlock it. As soon as a local police officer, CPI Sangamesh Shivayogi, began speaking over video call, the fraudsters abruptly terminated the call and vanished.
A formal complaint has been registered at the Gadag Cyber Crime Police Station, and investigations are ongoing.
CPI Shivayogi urged citizens not to fall prey to such digital arrests, which are emerging as a new form of cyber intimidation. “People must remain calm and report any suspicious digital communication to the nearest police station immediately. Never share personal information or documents over video calls from unknown sources,” he said.
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Kantara mimicking case: HC extends interim relief given to actor Ranveer Singh till March 9
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka High Court on Monday extended the interim relief given to Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh till March 9, in a case related to mimicking a character from the movie, 'Kantara Chapter-1', and allegedly mocking a deity.
The actor had approached the High Court seeking the quashing of the FIR against him for mimicking Rishab Shetty's role as 'Chavunda' deity in the movie.
While mimicking, Singh had called the deity a "ghost". The actor was asked to appear before the court in person on Monday.
Appearing on behalf of the actor, his counsel Sajjan Poovayya said Singh was stuck in London and was unable to reach Bengaluru due to the conflict in West Asia.
The complainant, who is a lawyer, alleged that his religious sentiments were hurt by calling the deity a ghost. On the directions of a local Court, the police registered a case against the actor.
The High Court on February 24 granted interim relief to the actor with directions to the police not to take any coercive steps against him.
