Patna (Bihar): Cybercriminals held hostage Suman Sourabh, the son of former Janata Dal (United) MLA Narendra Kumar alias Bogo Singh, in the name of digital arrest in Begusarai, police said on Saturday.
A police official said Suman went missing on Friday afternoon at around 1 pm. "Suman, who runs a school in Keshave village, was held hostage in the name of digital arrest for around nine hours at a hotel in Begusarai. We traced his location and rescued him safely," the police official said.
"He goes to school every day at around 8 am and comes home for lunch in the afternoon. On Friday, he did not come home. We tried to call him but he did not receive the calls. We then approached the Begusarai Police," Suman's uncle Gopal Singh said.
DIGITAL ARREST: Where to Report?
— DoT UPW LSA (@dot_upw) August 23, 2024
The Government of India has issued warnings & guidelines to help citizens recognize and avoid falling victim to #DigitalArrest
Report such incidents to the Cybercrime Helpline at 1930 or visit https://t.co/iY3Z407VVW @DoT_India #CyberSecurity pic.twitter.com/NLtvgpkmFE
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bhaskar Ranjan said that Suman became a victim of cyber fraud. "We found the location of the hotel where he was staying and we went there, we saw him on a video call. We rescued him safely. He told us in the inquiry that he was held hostage in the name of digital arrest," the DCP said, adding a case has been registered in this connection.
According to police, a digital arrest is a form of new cybercrime. "The criminals tell say a courier has arrived in your name, which contains ganja, opium, etc. The criminals speak about trapping you in the name of smuggling and sending you to jail. The criminal threatens you by talking about police action. The victim is asked by the cyber criminals to be alone on a video call," police added.
Gopal Singh claimed that Suman was asked by the cyber criminals to sit in front of the mobile with his hands forward. "The cybercriminals asked to follow their instructions. They demanded money for his release," added Gopal Singh.
Bihar Police said that this is the second such incident in the state. A similar incident happened with a doctor in Gaya. The criminals had transferred Rs 4. 40 crore from the doctor's account by posing as CBI officers.
