Belagavi: Weeks after an 81-year-old businessman was duped of ₹15.45 crore in a chilling “digital arrest” scam, police have arrested two accused from Hyderabad, marking a key breakthrough in the case.
The Belagavi City Cyber Crime Police said the accused — Venkadot Sarath Naik and Degawata Sripad Naik — were nabbed on April 6, 2026, in Hyderabad and produced before a court the following day. The case has been registered at the Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
During the probe, investigators traced part of the siphoned money, including ₹2 crore routed to a joint current account in IndusInd Bank linked to the accused. Earlier, multiple accounts had been frozen, including one holding ₹90 lakh. Officials suspect the fraud is part of a larger inter-state network, and further investigation is underway.
Police said the accused impersonated officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), introducing themselves as “K. Subramaniam,” to instil fear. The victim was falsely told that two SIM cards were active in his name, that he was linked to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, and that he was involved in a ₹25 lakh money laundering case. He was threatened with immediate arrest and pressured into transferring funds under the pretext of an ongoing investigation.
Between February 7 and March 9, 2026, the victim transferred the entire ₹15.45 crore in multiple transactions.
Authorities have reiterated that “digital arrest” is a fake concept used by cybercriminals to create panic and extort money.
For detailed background of the case, you can check out NewsMobile’s earlier report here.
