In a shocking case of cybercrime, a 76-year-old retired government doctor died of a heart attack after enduring nearly three days of intimidation from fraudsters masquerading as law enforcement officials, Hyderabad police said on Tuesday.
According to investigators, the woman — formerly Chief Senior Resident Medical Officer at Mamidipudi Nagarjuna Area Hospital, Malakpet — was duped into transferring ₹6.6 lakh after being placed under a so-called “digital arrest.”
Police said the doctor was first approached on September 5 via WhatsApp video calls from the number 765******2, which displayed the Bengaluru Police insignia. The callers allegedly produced fake documents bearing the seals of the Supreme Court, Enforcement Directorate and Reserve Bank of India, accusing her of human trafficking and threatening arrest under the National Security Act.
Fearing immediate arrest, she transferred the funds on September 6 from her Union Bank pension account to an ICICI Bank account in Maharashtra. Harassment reportedly continued from another number, saved as “Jaishankar Sir,” involving repeated calls, fabricated court notices and threats.
On September 8, after 70 hours of pressure, she collapsed at her Madhura Nagar residence and was rushed to two hospitals, where she was declared dead at 12:30 p.m.
Cybercrime officials have booked a case under the IT Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “The accused even sent a ‘good morning’ message on September 10 — after her death,” a police official said.
