Gwalior Retired Sub-Registrar Duped in Massive ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam, Loses ₹1.12 Crore

Gwalior, MP: In a shocking cyber fraud case, a 75-year-old retired sub-registrar, Bihari Lal Gupta, was tricked into transferring ₹1.12 crore to fraudsters posing as top government officials. The criminals allegedly kept him under “digital arrest” for 48 days, using fear and intimidation to extract sensitive personal and financial information.

According to police, the scammers impersonated officials from TRAI, the IPS, and the CBI. They convinced Gupta that he was involved in a money laundering case and that “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s orders” prohibited any disclosure of the matter. The elderly victim was told that failure to cooperate could result in serious consequences, including the alleged flight of the accused abroad.

The fraud began on 16 November 2025 when the scammers contacted Gupta, introducing themselves as “Rohit Sharma” from TRAI. They warned that his mobile and Aadhaar would be blocked under Delhi Police orders. Shortly afterward, Gupta received a video call from another scammer claiming to be IPS officer Neeraj Thakur, who alleged Gupta’s involvement in a money laundering case. The scammers then instructed Gupta to submit an application through a so-called CBI officer, Pradeep Singh.

Over several days, the perpetrators coerced Gupta into revealing all personal, financial, and investment details. Under duress, he transferred ₹60 lakh from his SBI account and ₹52 lakh from his wife’s Bank of Baroda account to four different bank accounts, as instructed by the scammers. The fraudsters even sent fake RBI-stamped receipts over WhatsApp before abruptly cutting off communication.

Gupta realized the scam only after discovering digital arrest-related videos online. He immediately approached the Cyber Crime Police, who have registered a case against the unidentified fraudsters and launched a hunt to apprehend them.

The incident highlights the increasing sophistication of cyber fraud targeting senior citizens, with scammers exploiting fear, official impersonation, and digital platforms to orchestrate high-value financial crimes.