Key Accused In Hyderabad's High-Profile "Digital Arrest" Fraud Case Arrested
A key accused in a high-profile "digital arrest" fraud case was arrested by the Cyber Crime Police in Hyderabad. Aludasu Sudhaker was detained at Mumbai International Airport by immigration authorities based on a Look Out Circular issued by the Hyderabad police.
The 43-year-old is alleged to have been part of an elaborate impersonation scam that targeted a 48-year-old Hyderabad woman. The fraudsters, including Sudhaker and four others previously arrested, posed as officials from government agencies such as the CBI and TRAI. They meticulously constructed a false narrative, implicating the victim in a fictitious money laundering case.
The scam began on November 12, 2024, when the victim received an automated call threatening suspension of her Airtel service. Upon pressing "9," she was connected to a fake call centre. Over a harrowing two to three-hour period, multiple impersonators, including a woman officer, a fake Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), and a man posing as "CBI officer Rajesh Mishra," subjected her to intense pressure. They accused her of links to money laundering via fabricated FIRs and coerced her into transferring substantial amounts of money from her fixed deposits, gold loans, and personal loans via RTGS.
The accused also extracted her Aadhaar details and other sensitive personal information, maintaining continuous control through hourly video calls and severe threats of job loss and imprisonment. The victim realised she had been defrauded only later and promptly filed a complaint, leading to the registration of Cr. No. 2808/2025 under the IT Act and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The Cyber Crime Unit has now arrested a total of five individuals in connection with the case, all of whom are alleged to be "account suppliers" - individuals who provide their bank accounts to facilitate the fraudulent transactions. A debit card linked to an absconding accused, Ashok Kumar Javvaji, who is believed to be in Dubai, has also been seized, along with a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Police officials have once again cautioned the public against falling prey to such sophisticated impersonation scams. They reiterated that no legitimate government agency or law enforcement body will ever demand money over the phone. Citizens are strongly advised to verify any such claims through official channels only and to be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited calls or messages demanding personal or financial information.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
103 days under ‘digital arrest': Cybercriminals made Gujarat doctor sell house, break FD, take loan to pay Rs 19.24 crore
A doctor in Gujarat's Gandhinagar was allegedly placed under 103 days of 'digital arrest' and forced to sell her properties, take loan against gold to pay the accused over Rs 19.24 crore. The cyber criminals had placed her under alleged 'digital arrest' between March and June this year. While one of the accused allegedly identified herself as Jyoti Vishwanath from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), another identified himself as Police Sub-Inspector Mohan Singh, a third identified himself as Public Prosecutor Deepak Saini, a fourth as Public Prosecutor Venkateswara, and the fifth as as Notary Officer Pawan Kumar. The victim was called from different numbers. 'The accused made phone calls, WhatsApp video calls, and sent messages on the victim's WhatsApp. They allegedly told the victim that they would block her mobile numbers as 'offensive' messages were being sent to people from her numbers. They also allegedly threatened the doctor, who is the complainant in the case, saying that a case would be filed against her,' said a statement from SP Dharmendra Sharma. The accused obtained details of the victim's Aadhaar card and allegedly claimed that she was found involved in money laundering. Later, they even told her that a case of money laundering had been registered against her. The accused also sent a fake letter in which the complainant had been named as an accused in a case for alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) as well as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). They also warned the victim against talking to anyone about this matter. A case was registered in the matter in July. A statement from the State Cybercrime Cell of the CID on Monday said that an investigation has been launched. As per the State Cyber Crime Cell statement, the accused persons kept the victim under 'digital arrest' for 103 days, from March 15 to June 26 and she was told that a man in plain clothes was keeping an eye on her and if she wanted to get a relief, she would have to provide information about all her properties. 'After the complainant provided the information about the properties, the accused persons made her withdraw her Fixed Deposit (FD), sell the gold in her house and further made her take a loan on the gold in her bank locker. They made her sell her house and shares in her stock market portfolio as well, and made her transfer a total amount of Rs 19,24,41,541 to different bank accounts on a fake receipt of 'Financial Supervisionary Freezing Certificate' for the same, and falsely promised that the money would be returned to her after investigation.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Power of corruption like a shadow': Orissa HC rejects IAS officer's pre-arrest bail plea
The Orissa High Court on Monday rejected an anticipatory bail petition by senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Bishnupada Sethi, who is being investigated in connection with a bribery case by the Central Bureau of Investigation, observing that the power of corruption is like a shadow that follows those who wield power. The 1995 batch IAS officer, Bishnupada Sethi, was designated as OSD in December last year after relieving him of his responsibilities Sethi was stripped of his responsibility as principal secretary of Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Department Bishnupada Sethi and appointed as an officer on special duty (OSD) in December 2024 after CBI arrested Chanchal Mukherjee, group general manager of Kolkata-based Bridge and Roof Company, a central public sector enterprise, on charges of taking a ₹10 lakh bribe from a real estate company promising them work orders. Rejecting Sethi's plea for pre-arrest shield, justice V Narasingha said the bench agreed with CBI that the IAS officer's interrogation when it was 'ensconced' by an order of anticipatory bail would be a fruitless exercise in the light of the materials unearthed. 'Sethi enjoys the power of being a senior official of the Indian Administrative Service. On a conspectus of materials on record, whether corruption is his shadow merits probe unhindered and unimpeded by the exceptional remedy of pre-arrest bail,' the court said. The case dates back to December 2024 when the CBI seized ₹10 lakh in cash from a luxury vehicle in Bhubaneswar. The agency arrested Mukherjee who was in the car at the time and was accused of accepting the bribe from the director of a Bhubaneswar-based private firm. Subsequently, two other individuals — Debadutta Mohapatra and Santosh Moharana — were arrested for their suspected roles in facilitating the bribe. The probe soon expanded, and Bishnupada Sethi's name also surfaced, prompting the CBI to conduct a raid at his official residence in Bhubaneswar in February 2025.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Man held from Goa in Jaipur ‘digital arrest' fraud case
Jaipur: Rajasthan cyber police arrested a 23-year-old man from Goa for his role in a Rs 23.56 lakh 'digital arrest' scam that targeted a 75-year-old Jaipur resident, SP (cyber crime) Shantanu Kumar Singh said Monday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The accused, Rehan Makandar of Ponda in Goa, was brought to Jaipur on transit remand and is being interrogated, the SP said. Six others have earlier been arrested in this case. Singh said the elderly victim received a phone call from men posing as police and CBI officials. The callers threatened him with digital arrest and coerced him into transferring Rs 23.56 lakh in multiple instalments. A case was registered at Rajasthan cyber police station on May 27. Police had previously arrested six men in this case—Suresh Kumar, Prahlad Kumawat, Omprakash, Bhupesh, Vashul, and Sunny Kumar. During questioning, Sunny revealed the involvement of Makandar, prompting a cyber police team to track him down in Goa. During interrogation, Makandar admitted to handling cryptocurrency transactions—specifically in USDT (Tether)—in collaboration with the other accused. Police suspect the gang used cryptocurrency to launder stolen funds. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are likely. TNN
