Hyderabad police have apprehended a cybercriminal from the Satgaon area in Guwahati on Friday night. The individual, identified as 36-year-old Elahi Baksa, allegedly blackmailed a retired chief engineer from Hyderabad, extorting a staggering Rs 4.82 crores by threatening her with a fabricated legal case.
The incident began on July 3, when the victim, namely J. Dakshina Murthy, received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the telecom department in Mumbai. The caller falsely accused him of being linked to a mobile number involved in illegal advertising and harassment, stating that an FIR had been lodged against him.
The call was then transferred to another person, who identified himself as a Sub-Inspector of Police at Chembur Police Station in Mumbai. This individual falsely accused the victim of money laundering in connection with Naresh Goyal, the former Chairperson of Jet Airways, who is currently on bail in a corruption case. He further claimed that the Supreme Court had issued an arrest warrant against him and sent forged documents to back up his claims.
The caller also fabricated a story about a raid at Goyal's residence, where they allegedly found a debit card registered in the victim’s name, linked to an account in Mumbai that was used for fund transfers amounting to Rs 2 crores.
The victim, who had no connection to Goyal, denied all the allegations. However, the caller insisted that the arrest would be halted only if he transferred all his funds to various bank accounts linked to him, warning him not to disclose the matter to anyone, citing "National Security Case."
Fearing the impact on her honor and reputation, the victim complied, transferring Rs 4.82 crores over a few days.
Later, he reported the incident to the cyber police in Hyderabad, who launched an investigation.
The phone call was traced to Guwahati in Assam, and with the help of Satgaon police, the suspect was apprehended on Friday night.
During questioning, Baksa confessed to the crime. He has since been transported to Hyderabad for further legal proceedings.
