In a chilling incident of cybercrime in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh, a retired Subedar and his wife were kept under ‘Digital Arrest’ for six consecutive days. Posing as CBI officers, scammers intimidated Suryabhan Singh and his wife, keeping them under 24-hour video surveillance. The psychological pressure was so intense that the victims were forced to seek permission even to use the restroom during this period.

The Modus Operandi The fraudsters threatened the couple with legal action in a fabricated serious case, compelling them to transfer a total of 82.50 lakh rupees into multiple bank accounts. These accounts were traced back to Noida and Barrackpore, West Bengal. After six days of isolation and fear, the couple finally gathered the courage to inform the police, leading to the discovery of this massive fraud.

Investigation and Impact Following the complaint, the police acted swiftly and managed to freeze 31 lakh rupees in the linked bank accounts. While the gang is still at large, authorities are tracking the digital footprints of the transactions. This incident highlights the growing menace of digital arrests, where psychological manipulation is used to clean out a lifetime of savings. Police have urged citizens not to succumb to such threats and report suspicious calls immediately.

At a Glance

• Retired Subedar and wife kept under ‘Digital Arrest’ for 6 days in Raebareli.
• Scammers looted 82.50 lakh rupees after posing as CBI officials and monitoring them via video call.
• Police managed to hold 31 lakh rupees across various bank accounts involved in the scam.
• Investigation is underway to identify and arrest the cyber gang operating from different states.