AHMEDABAD: A 72-year-old Surat resident was allegedly duped of Rs 1.47 crore in a “digital arrest” cyber fraud after fraudsters posing as Mumbai Cyber Crime and CBI officers kept him under psychological pressure and constant video surveillance for 28 days. The Surat Cyber Crime Cell has arrested Urjit Kavi, 37, from Ahmedabad’s Gota area in connection with the case.
According to the complaint, the fraud began with a phone call in which the accused claimed that a SIM card linked to the victim’s Aadhaar number had been used in a money laundering case connected to former Naresh Goyal. The callers also alleged that anti-national messages had been circulated through the same SIM card and described the matter as one involving “national security.”
Police said the victim was then virtually kept under digital arrest inside his home for 28 days through continuous video calls. Investigators alleged that the accused monitored him constantly and prevented him from questioning the fake investigation.
Surat DCP Bishakha Jain said, "The fraudsters used forged letters carrying the names of Mumbai Police and Crime Branch officers to make the investigation appear genuine. The victim was allegedly told to liquidate his bank accounts, investments and financial portfolios for “verification” by the RBI to avoid arrest."
Acting under fear, the elderly man transferred the money as instructed by the fraudsters.
During the investigation, Surat Cyber Crime officials tracked bank transactions, digital records and location data, leading them to a flat in Ahmedabad’s Gota locality where Urjit Kavi was arrested. Police said transactions worth nearly Rs 2.84 crore were routed through his ICICI Bank account.
Investigators also found that at least 12 complaints from different states on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCCRP) were linked to the same bank account. Of the victim’s Rs 1.47 crore loss, nearly Rs 39 lakh allegedly reached Kavi’s account directly.
Police are now seeking remand of the accused and expanding the investigation. Officials are searching for a woman who allegedly posed as a CBI officer and other suspects identified as Satish Nikam and Akash Kulhari.
Investigators suspect the fraud is part of an organised interstate cyber racket targeting wealthy elderly citizens through fear-based “digital arrest” schemes.
