MP K Sudhakar’s wife defrauded, Rs 14 lakh recovered

Bengaluru: Dr Preeti Sudhakar, the wife of Chikkaballapur MP and former minister Dr K Sudhakar, was defrauded of Rs 14 lakh in a sophisticated 'digital arrest' cybercrime. However, the Bengaluru Cyber Police recovered the entire amount as the victim swiftly lodged a complaint.

The incident took place on August 26 when Dr Preeti received a WhatsApp call from an unknown person posing as an "officer from the Mumbai Cyber Crime Department". The fraudsters claimed that her personal documents had been misused by one Sadbhat Khan, who had allegedly created a credit card in her name for illegal transactions and to fund human trafficking activities in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

To lend credibility to their claim, the scammers sent a "photo of the arrest" of the alleged Sadbhat Khan. They then initiated a video call, threatening to cancel her personal documents and freeze her accounts if she did not comply. The fraudsters coerced her into believing that her bank accounts were "illegal" and that the money needed to be transferred to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for "verification". They promised to return the money within 45 minutes.

Under coercion, Dr Preeti transferred a total of Rs 14 lakh from her HDFC Bank account to a Yes Bank account specified by the fraudsters using RTGS (Real-Time Gross Settlement). Upon realising she had been cheated, she immediately contacted the police.

Swift recovery

The victim's swift complaint played a crucial role in the recovery of the funds. The same evening, a case was registered at the CEN Police Station, West Division.

DCP West division Girish S told DH that the complainant called the National Cyber Helpline number 1930 within the 'Golden Hour' — the critical period immediately following a cyber fraud. This quick complaint helped the police to freeze the fraudulently transferred funds in the unknown Yes Bank account.

The Bengaluru Cyber Police then moved the 47th ACJM Court, which on September 3, ordered Yes Bank to transfer the frozen amount back to Dr Preeti's account. This led to the full recovery and return of the amount within just one week of the occurrence of the crime.

The investigation to trace and apprehend the accused is still ongoing.

The Bengaluru Police Department has issued a public notice, urging victims of cyber fraud to act immediately by calling the National Cyber Helpline number 1930 and registering a complaint at the nearest police station to prevent further financial loss.