Udaipur Digital Arrest Scam: 86-Year-Old Former Zinc Executive Confined via Video Call for 3 Days, Defrauded of Rs 42 Lakh | डिजिटल अरेस्ट कर 42 लाख ठगे

Udaipur: Udaipur: In a chilling manifestation of sophisticated cyber extortion operating across Rajasthan, an 86-year-old retired senior executive of Hindustan Zinc was subjected to an unprecedented three-day udaipur digital arrest scam where fraudsters monitored his every movement via continuous video calls before siphoning off Rs 42.10 lakh through RTGS transfers.

Anatomy of the 72-Hour Virtual Captivity in Udaipur

The elaborate cyber extortion scheme began on Monday afternoon, November 2, 2026, when the elderly former Hindustan Zinc official received an unsolicited video call. The perpetrators, posing as senior law enforcement and federal investigators, weaponized fear by claiming his identity had been compromised in major money laundering and international narcotics syndicates. Under the pretext of a confidential inquiry, they placed him under virtual udaipur digital arrest scam surveillance, ordering him to keep his smartphone camera active around the clock.

For three harrowing days, the octogenarian was denied basic autonomy. The fraudsters subjected him to psychological torture, warning that disconnecting the call or stepping away would result in local police immediately storming his home and arresting him. He was forced to seek permission from the anonymous callers on the screen even for basic daily necessities, including cooking meals, offering daily prayers, and visiting the restroom. Delivery personnel, including regular milk and vegetable vendors, were turned away directly from the doorstep under strict instructions from the scammers.

As part of the administrative and investigative review concerning vulnerable citizens, officials often note systemic gaps; meanwhile, citizens can also review administrative updates such as the Rajasthan School Education Department Vacancy Crisis to understand broader governance bottlenecks. However, local law enforcement has reiterated that genuine investigative authorities never conduct arrests or interrogations over video conferencing platforms.

“Neither police, CBI, ED, nor courts ever arrest anyone via video calls. If you receive threats regarding money laundering, drugs, or terror cases, immediately disconnect the phone and do not transfer money under any pretext.” — Shyam Singh Ratnu, DSP (Cyber Crime Wing)

• Total Isolation: The victim was forced to cut off all communication with neighbors, local vendors, and family members for 72 hours.
• Asset Exploitation: Under intense coercion, the senior citizen revealed confidential details of five bank accounts and two fixed deposits worth Rs 50 lakh each.
• Financial Drainage: A total of Rs 42.10 lakh was fraudulently transferred via RTGS before the plot was uncovered.
• External Intervention: The fraud unraveled on Wednesday when scammers attempted to extract a second tranche of Rs 50 lakh, but the victim’s son-in-law intercepted the call and confronted the caller.

Chronology of the Udaipur Digital Arrest Extortion

The following structured timeline outlines how the cyber fraudsters systematically manipulated the 86-year-old senior citizen over a 72-hour period, isolating him from family and daily routines before executing the multi-lakh financial fraud.

मुख्य समाचार एवं विस्तृत विवरण: बुजुर्ग से डिजिटल अरेस्ट के नाम पर 42 लाख की ठगी

उदयपुर जिले में साइबर ठगों ने एक नया और खतरनाक पैंतरा अपनाते हुए जिंक के 86 वर्षीय पूर्व अधिकारी को तीन दिनों तक डिजिटल अरेस्ट की स्थिति में रखा। 2 नवंबर को दोपहर में आए एक वीडियो कॉल के जरिए इस ठगी के खेल की शुरुआत हुई। ठगों ने बुजुर्ग दंपती को धमकाया कि यदि वे फोन से हटे या कॉल काटा, तो उनके घर के बाहर खड़ी पुलिस उन्हें तुरंत गिरफ्तार कर लेगी। इस खौफ के माहौल में बुजुर्ग को सोने, खाना बनाने, पूजा करने और बाथरूम जाने तक के लिए ठगों से अनुमति लेनी पड़ी।

ठगों के इस मनोवैज्ञानिक दबाव का असर यह हुआ कि पीड़ित भंवरलाल ने अपने 5 बैंक खातों और 50-50 लाख की दो एफडी की पूरी जानकारी साझा कर दी। इसके बाद शातिर ठगों ने आरटीजीएस के माध्यम से 42.10 लाख रुपए अपने निजी खातों में ट्रांसफर करवा लिए। जब यह राशि किसी सरकारी जांच खाते के बजाय एक निजी खाते में जमा हुई, तब परिवार को संदेह हुआ। बुधवार को जब ठगों ने दूसरी एफडी से 50 लाख रुपए ऐंठने के लिए दोबारा कॉल किया, तो मौके पर मौजूद दामाद ने बात संभाली, जिसके बाद ठग तुरंत फोन काटकर फरार हो गए।

स्थानीय प्रशासनिक और औद्योगिक गलियारों में इस घटना के बाद हड़कंप मच गया है। जैसा कि Debari Growth Corridor Real Estate विकास पहलों के तहत सुरक्षा और बुनियादी ढांचे पर चर्चा होती है, वैसे ही अब उदयपुर के रिहायशी इलाकों में वरिष्ठ नागरिकों की सुरक्षा के लिए विशेष जागरूकता अभियान चलाने की मांग उठ रही है।

“जांच एजेंसियां कभी भी वीडियो कॉल पर डिजिटल अरेस्ट नहीं करती हैं। यदि आपके पास ऐसे फर्जी फोन आएँ, तो घबराएं नहीं। अकेले कोई फैसला लेने के बजाय अपने परिवार को बताएं और तुरंत राष्ट्रीय साइबर हेल्पलाइन नंबर 1930 पर संपर्क करें।” — श्यामसिंह रत्नू, डीएसपी, उदयपुर पुलिस

• भय का वातावरण: ठगों ने बुजुर्ग को इस कदर डराया कि वे घर आए दूध और सब्जी वाले को भी दरवाजे से ही वापस लौटने पर मजबूर हो गए।
• खातों की जानकारी: बुजुर्ग ने अपनी गाढ़ी कमाई की पूरी जानकारी यानी 5 बैंक खाते और दो बड़ी एफडी की डिटेल्स साझा कर दीं।
• सर्तकता की जरूरत: साइबर सेल ने अपील की है कि बुजुर्गों को इस तरह के फर्जीवाड़े के प्रति जागरूक किया जाए ताकि वे किसी भी अनजान कॉल से भयभीत न हों।

Police Advisory and Preventive Measures Against Cyber Extortion

Following the registration of an FIR by the Cyber Police Station in Udaipur, technical teams have initiated a comprehensive probe into the bank accounts and IP addresses utilized by the syndicate. Preliminary findings indicate that the money was swiftly routed through multiple shell accounts across different states before being withdrawn or converted into digital assets.

The district administration and police department have launched an extensive public awareness campaign targeting residential societies, senior citizen clubs, and retired professional associations. Authorities have emphasized that modern financial fraudsters employ psychological manipulation, deepfake technologies, and spoofed official letterheads to create an air of absolute authority. Citizens are strongly advised to verify any official communication by visiting local police stations physically rather than interacting via messaging or video applications. (Also read: Mohammed Siraj Officially Joins India’s ODI Squad After Missing Series Opener).

“Senior citizens must be insulated from cyber predators through community vigilance. Families should maintain open communication regarding financial matters and unfamiliar digital communications.” — Udaipur District Police Spokesperson

• Zero Tolerance for Digital Arrest: Indian law enforcement agencies do not possess any legal provision known as digital arrest.
• Immediate Reporting Window: Reporting financial fraud within the golden hour (first 2 hours) significantly increases the probability of freezing transferred funds.
• Helpline Integration: Victims can directly report cyber scams by dialing 1930 or logging onto the official cybercrime.gov.in portal.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)