A 68-year-old retired geologist from Ahmedabad endured a harrowing 10-day ordeal of 'digital arrest,' where fraudsters posing as government officials controlled his life, deprived him of sleep, and ultimately siphoned off Rs 40 lakh from his accounts. A formal complaint has been registered with the Gandhinagar range cyberpolice, exposing a sophisticated and psychologically manipulative scam.
The Onset of a 10-Day Digital Nightmare
The terrifying episode began on November 10, 2025, when the victim received a phone call. The caller falsely claimed to be an official from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The fraudster alleged that a mobile number registered with the complainant's Aadhaar card had been used to issue threats and was linked to a criminal case in Mumbai. To add credibility, the call was swiftly transferred to another individual posing as an inspector from the Mumbai crime branch.
From that moment, the accused maintained relentless, round-the-clock contact with the elderly man through WhatsApp calls and messages. They issued a strict directive: he was not to inform anyone about the situation and had to keep his phone switched on at all times. This marked the beginning of his 'digital arrest.'
Psychological Torture and Forced Compliance
For nearly ten days, the retired government servant from the state geology and mining department was subjected to severe psychological control. The fraudsters allowed him to sleep for only two hours at a stretch. After each brief interval of rest, he was compelled to send a report to the accused, confirming his presence and continued compliance with their orders.
Investigators stated that any delay in sending these reports prompted immediate warnings of imminent arrest. This method was deliberately used to dominate the victim, restrict his movements, and isolate him, creating conditions akin to a police remand. The continuous surveillance and sleep deprivation left him physically exhausted and mentally vulnerable.
The Elaborate Sting and Financial Theft
On November 11, the scammers escalated their scheme by staging a fake video call presented as a Supreme Court proceeding. The call featured individuals acting as a judge, police officers, and another accused person. During this fabricated hearing, a man identifying himself as an 'additional director' informed the complainant that the court had ordered a verification of his bank and demat accounts as part of a money laundering investigation.
Convinced by the elaborate charade, the terrified victim shared his demat user ID, password, and One-Time Passwords (OTPs). With this access, the fraudsters sold off his shares and mutual fund holdings. They then transferred the proceeds, amounting to Rs 39.99 lakh, to bank accounts they controlled using RTGS and UPI transactions between November 11 and 19.
To cover their tracks, the accused also used screen-sharing features to delete the incriminating chat records from the victim's device. As the days passed, the man's health began to deteriorate severely under the constant stress and lack of proper sleep.
The Rescue and Police Action
It was only when his health broke down that the victim finally confided in his son about the so-called 'digital arrest.' Following this revelation, the family immediately contacted the cybercrime helpline on November 19.
The Gandhinagar cyberpolice have now registered a formal First Information Report (FIR). The complaint includes charges of impersonation, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. This case highlights the alarming trend of cybercriminals using fear, authority, and psychological manipulation to execute high-value frauds against senior citizens.
