Retired Army Engineer Duped of ₹35 Lakh in ‘Digital Arrest’ Cyber Fraud in Bathinda

A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light in Punjab's Bathinda district, where a 78-year-old retired Army engineer was allegedly cheated of ₹35 lakh by fraudsters posing as officials from the Delhi Police and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The accused reportedly used the "digital arrest" scam to intimidate the victim into transferring the money. According to a complaint registered with the Cyber Crime Police Station, the victim, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Sarabha Nagar in Bathinda, received a phone call from an unknown number on July 13. The caller claimed to be from the Delhi Police Headquarters before transferring the call to another person who introduced himself as an ATS officer. As per the FIR, the fraudsters falsely informed the victim that his identity documents had been used to obtain a mobile connection allegedly linked to a money laundering case involving ₹2.5 crore. They further claimed that he had connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Delhi bomb blast case, adding that a criminal case was being registered against him and would be referred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The victim was reportedly kept on continuous video calls for several hours and subjected to intense psychological pressure. After learning that he had ₹35 lakh in his bank account, the accused allegedly instructed him to transfer the entire amount through RTGS to what they described as an RBI verification account to prove his innocence. Fraud Exposed After Demand for More Money Cyber Crime Police Station SHO Inspector Balwinder Singh said that the victim transferred ₹35 lakh through RTGS on July 15 to the bank account provided by the fraudsters after believing their claims. The scam came to light only when the accused allegedly demanded additional money. The complainant then contacted his son, who lives in the United States, and realised that he had become a victim of a fake "digital arrest" cyber fraud. Based on the complaint, Bathinda Police have registered a case against unidentified persons under Sections 318(4) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 66D of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Inspector Balwinder Singh said that police are conducting a digital investigation into the bank accounts used in the fraud and are working to identify and arrest the accused. Police Issue Public Advisory The police have urged citizens not to trust callers claiming to be police officers or officials from law enforcement agencies who demand money or threaten them with a so-called "digital arrest." Authorities emphasized that no government agency conducts legal proceedings or seeks financial verification through video calls or requests money transfers in such cases.