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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
