Fake FIRs, forged court orders: Cops bust Rs 2.2 cr digital arrest racket

NEW DELHI: The IFSO Unit of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell has busted an international syndicate of the digital arrest scam, leading to the recovery of Rs 2.2 crore defrauded from a 92-year-old retired surgeon.

The police were informed about the incident through a complaint registered at the IFSO Unit of the Delhi Police’s Special Cell.

The accused were identified as Amit Sharma alias Rahul (42), a resident of Anand Vihar, Delhi and Hari Swargiary (27), a resident of Udalguri, Assam.

According to the police, the victim had filed a complaint on March 15, alleging that he received multiple calls on March 12 from individuals posing as officials from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and Maharashtra Police.

Claiming that several FIRs had been registered against him, the fraudsters coerced the elderly man into a “digital arrest” via video calls, showing him forged court orders and threatening his family with harm. Under pressure, the victim liquidated his fixed deposits and transferred the funds to three bank accounts.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Acting swiftly, a team led by SI Manjeet and supervised by ACP Vivekanand Jha tracked the accused using digital surveillance.

A raid in Ghaziabad led to the arrest of Amit Sharma, while another suspect, Hari Swargiary, was apprehended in Guwahati The fraudsters used fake identities as officials from law enforcement and other agencies, deceiving victims into transferring their life savings under the guise of verification.

Police recovered mobile phones, SIM cards, digital documents, and successfully recovered the stolen amount. The investigation remains ongoing.