Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Crime branch rescued a telecom engineer from six-hour digital arrest in Bajaria area of Bhopal, said officials on Wednesday. The cyber criminals were demanding Rs 3.5 lakh from him. However, their plan went kaput due to swift police action.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shailendra Singh Chouhan told Free Press that the victim telecom engineer (38) lived in Bajaria along with his family.

On Tuesday evening, around 5 pm, he received a call from an unknown number and the caller identified himself as a senior police official. He told the victim that his Aadhar card was linked to several mobile phone numbers used in serious cases of crime.

The caller then asked the victim to connect with him on Skype, and kept him under digital arrest for over six hours. During this, the victim secluded himself inside his room, and the accused started collecting his personal details. He demanded Rs 3.5 lakh to let him go scot-free.

Suspecting something fishy, one of victim s family members informed the police and the crime branch. The crime branch team, led by Additional DCP Chouhan, rushed to the spot and rescued the man from the clutches of the accused. The accused disconnected the call thereafter.

Chouhan talks with victim

Additional DCP Chouhan, after rescuing the victim told him that the cyber cell had registered a police complaint. He further told him that the cyber wing would arrest the accused soon.

32 Digital arrest cases in Bhopal in 2024

According to statistics provided by district cyber crime cell, 32 instances of digital arrests have been reported so far this year. As per the data, the Bhopalites have ended up losing as much as Rs 2.5 crore to cyber crooks.