The Charkop Police have arrested two wanted fraudsters who posed as a police officer and a lawyer to dupe an elderly woman in Kandivali. The accused, Bhagataram Devashi and Kamlesh Chaudhary, allegedly threatened her with "digital arrest" and extorted Rs9.75 lakh from her.
The 71-year-old complainant lives with her family in Kandivali. On January 15, she received a video call from an unknown person, who claimed that her bank account was linked to a financial scam worth several lakhs. The caller further warned that her bank account would soon be frozen, and a case had been filed against her.
Fearing arrest, she was told that an inquiry would be conducted at her residence, where she would be "digitally arrested" if found guilty.
During this period, another person contacted her, instructing her to cooperate with the investigation. The two accused introduced themselves as a police officer and a lawyer. They assured her of help but demanded money in return. They provided her with bank account details and asked her to transfer the money, promising that it would be returned post-inquiry.
Under pressure, the woman transferred Rs9.75 lakh to the given accounts. However, after the payment, the accused neither returned the money nor conducted any further inquiry. Realizing she had been duped, she informed her family members, who advised her to file a police complaint. She later lodged an online complaint through the Mumbai Police’s official website.
Following the complaint, the Charkop Police registered a case under relevant sections of fraud and IT Act. A special operation was launched to nab the accused, who had been on the run for two months. Bhagataram Devashi and Kamlesh Chaudhary were finally arrested and produced before the Borivali local court, which remanded them to police custody.
Police are now investigating whether the duo was involved in similar fraud cases in the past.