Belagavi cyber police bust ₹15.45 crore ‘digital arrest’ scam, two arrested in Hyderabad
The accused allegedly posed as a “Director K. Subramanyam” and claimed that Saraf was linked to a money laundering case involving former Jet Airways CEO Naresh Goyal. They further threatened him with immediate arrest, creating panic and fear.
Belagavi : In a major breakthrough, Belagavi cyber crime police have arrested two accused in a high-value “digital arrest” scam case, where a senior businessman was allegedly cheated of ₹15.45 crore through online blackmail. The arrests were made in Hyderabad, and police have also managed to freeze ₹1 crore from the fraudsters’ bank accounts.
The accused have been identified as Venkadoth Sharath Naik and Degavath Sripada Naik, both residents of Hyderabad. According to preliminary investigations, the duo operated multiple bank accounts under the name of a company and routed the defrauded money across various accounts in different states, including Goa, Haryana, and Delhi.
The victim, Ajit Saraf, a businessman from Tilakwadi in Belagavi, was targeted by the fraudsters through a phone call. The accused allegedly posed as a “Director K. Subramanyam” and claimed that Saraf was linked to a money laundering case involving former Jet Airways CEO Naresh Goyal. They further threatened him with immediate arrest, creating panic and fear.
Under pressure, the victim transferred money in multiple transactions via RTGS between February 7 and March 9, amounting to a total of ₹15.45 crore. A case was subsequently registered at the Belagavi Cyber Crime Police Station.
Acting on the complaint, a special team led by Cyber Crime ACP B.S. Mantur and PI Shreeshail Gabi tracked the money trail and identified the accused. A raid was conducted in Hyderabad, leading to their arrest. During the investigation, it was also found that nearly ₹2 crore had been transferred across multiple accounts.
Belagavi Police Commissioner Bhushan Borase said, “This is a large-scale cyber fraud case. Two more accused are suspected to be involved, and efforts are underway to trace and arrest them. We will also take action against those who provided bank accounts for illegal transactions.”
Considering that the fraud amount exceeds ₹10 crore, the police have indicated that a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe may be required. Communication has already been initiated with central agencies, while local police continue the investigation.
Authorities have urged citizens, especially senior individuals, to remain cautious about such “digital arrest” scams and to verify any claims made by unknown callers before transferring money.
