Another retired colonel falls into digital arrest trap, loses Rs 36 lakh

According to the FIR, Harmohinder Singh Puri, 91, a resident of Chandigarh, has stated to the police that on November 10, 2024, he received a call on WhatsApp, in which the caller asked him if he has an account in Canara Bank, to which Puri refused.

The caller then told him that an arrest warrant had been issued in his name as a fake Canara Bank account had been opened in his name in Maharashtra, for which his (Puri) Aadhaar Card copy has been attached.

Puri was then asked whether he knew Naresh Goyal, to which Puri replied to the caller that “he (Goyal) was chairman of Jet Airways and has been held in a money laundering case”.

The caller then told Puri that in a raid conducted at the house of Goyal, many Aadhaar Card copies have been found, and among which his card was also found.

The caller then claimed that a fake Canara Bank account had been opened in his (Puri) name in Maharashtra, allegedly used to transfer money to Goyal.

Puri was then threatened with the arrest, and asked to put his mobile on charger and was further asked to remain in front of the mobile phone’s camera as he will be under vigil.

The caller then asked the victim about his bank accounts and fixed deposits, to which he told the caller about his two bank accounts.

Fearing arrest and eager to prove his innocence, Puri followed their instructions and transferred Rs 36 lakh via RTGS from his State Bank of India account to an ICICI Bank account.

He also sent a photo of the transaction receipt via WhatsApp to the fraudsters.

The accused continued to pressure him to transfer additional funds Rs 12.5 lakh from Union Bank of India and Rs 20 lakh from his post office savings, but before those transactions could be completed, his son Pushpinder Singh, who had just returned from Australia, sensed foul play.

He visited the police station in Sector 34, to confirm about the phone number of the “caller” if it belonged to Mumbai Crime branch.

However, the police officers at police station in 34 confirmed Puri that it was a cyber fraud and directed him to the Cybercrime Police Station immediately.

According to the police sources, the fraudsters created a fake narrative linking the victim to a money laundering case, coercing him into transferring the large sum under psychological pressure.

Meanwhile, acting into the complaint, the Cybercrime Cell of the Chandigarh Police registered an FIR under sections 319(2), 318(4), 336(3), 338, 340(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unknown persons.