In a major breakthrough, the Udupi District CEN Police have arrested an accused involved in a digital fraud case and recovered Rs7,00,000 in cash.
The arrested individual, Kiran (24), son of Puru Nayak from Shahapur in Yadgir district, was apprehended in Dharwad. Police also recovered Rs5,00,000 in cash and a mobile phone from his possession.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Kannar Santosh Kumar (45), a resident of Udupi. On September 11, 2024, he received a call from someone claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller falsely informed him that his mobile number was involved in illegal advertisements and harassment, with 17 FIRs allegedly filed against him.
The caller further threatened Kumar with the disconnection of his contact numbers and claimed an arrest warrant was issued against him. Following the call, Kumar received a WhatsApp video call from another individual posing as a Cyber Police inspector from Andheri East, Mumbai. The fraudster accused him of being involved in a money laundering case connected to Naresh Goyal and demanded bank account details for verification.
Pretending to conduct an RBI fund verification process, the fraudster convinced Kumar to transfer Rs89,00,000 to a State Bank of India account, threatening virtual arrest until the transaction was cleared.
Upon receiving the complaint, the Udupi CEN Police launched an investigation. A special team, led by CEN Police Inspector Ramachandra Nayak, along with officers from various stations, conducted operations across Kerala and Maharashtra. This resulted in the arrest of Kiran and the recovery of Rs5,00,000 in cash from him.
Additionally, Rs2,00,000 was recovered from an account linked to Mohammad Nisham C K in Kerala, bringing the total cash recovered to Rs7,00,000.
Authorities are continuing the investigation and are tracking down further suspects connected to the scam. Police have urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited calls or messages, especially those requesting sensitive financial details.
