Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cyber Crime Police arrested three men in a high-value digital arrest extortion case, where a senior citizen lost ₹1.92 crore. The arrests were made in Cr. No. 2071/2025 under the IT Act and multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The accused persons – Pandu Vinith Raj, G. Thirupathaiah, and Gouni Vishwanatham – had active roles in the scam. Vinith Raj supplied bank accounts to route the funds. Thirupathaiah and Vishwanatham jointly held the key beneficiary account. The prime accused, Sandeep alias Alex, is still absconding. Police confirmed that this group is linked to five similar cases across India, including two in Telangana.
The victim, a 71-year-old man from Hyderabad, received a call on November 7 from someone posing as a CBI officer. The caller falsely accused him of Aadhaar misuse and linked his identity to a fake Canara Bank account in Mumbai. The scammers sent forged FIRs and arranged a video call to intensify pressure. Over seven days, they convinced him to transfer ₹1.92 crore to accounts they controlled.
Hyderabad cyber unit exposes tactic used in digital arrest extortion
The fraud relied on fear and deception. The accused used spoofed phone numbers, video calls in fake uniforms, and bogus documents. They threatened the victim with immediate arrest, account freezes, and even passport cancellation.
Investigators seized four mobile phones during the arrests. Inspector K. Satish Reddy led the team that cracked the case, supported by SI Srikanth and others.
The police issued a strong public advisory. They clarified that “digital arrest” does not exist in Indian law. No real officer demands money via phone, UPI, or video call. People must never share personal details like Aadhaar, bank account numbers, or OTPs with unknown callers.
Victims should immediately call 1930 or file a complaint online at https://cybercrime.gov.in.