The city Crime Branch rescued a telecom engineer from Gayatri Nagar on Wednesday after he was held captive and intimidated by cyber criminals in a digital arrest lasting over six hours.
The engineer, Pramod Kumar (38), works for a private telecom company. The incident began on Tuesday at 4:15 PM, when Pramod received a call from someone claiming to be an officer from the Economic Offences Wing (EOW).
The caller told Pramod that a large sum of money had been transacted using his number. He warned Pramod not to switch off his phone, claiming he was calling from Mumbai.
The caller threatened that if the call was disconnected, Pramod would be arrested in Bhopal. Shortly after, Pramod received a video call from another number.
Three people appeared on the screen in police uniforms, claiming to be from the Mumbai Crime Branch. They told Pramod that ransom had been demanded from a person using his phone number.
When Pramod tried to explain himself, the criminals threatened him with jail time unless he paid a Rs 3.5 lakh penalty for misusing his mobile.
The fraudsters continued to manipulate Pramod, extracting personal information and telling him that he would be arrested with the help of local police.
They further insisted that he would be safe only if he agreed to stay under their surveillance for 24 hours. In fear, Pramod locked himself in a room, following the criminals’ instructions. He stayed under their control until 11:30 PM when they finally ended the call.On Wednesday morning, still terrified, Pramod avoided answering any calls, including those from his boss, Pradeep.
Concerned, Pradeep visited Pramod’s home and found him unwilling to open the door. Sensing something was amiss, Pradeep contacted the Crime Branch.
Upon arrival, the Crime Branch officers rescued Pramod and confirmed that he had been scammed by cyber criminals. After talking with the police, Pramod regained his composure and came out of the house with his wife and children.
This case underscores growing incidents of cyber fraud, where criminals exploit fear and technology to manipulate and wilt their victims psychologically.
