Palakkad police have launched an investigation after Kongad MLA Santhakumari reported an attempted online fraud in which unknown callers tried to place her under a so-called “digital arrest”. The complaint was submitted to Palakkad District SP Ajithkumar, following which Cyber Crime police registered a case.
According to the MLA, she first received a phone call from a person who claimed to be from an anti-terror unit. The caller allegedly said her number was found from terrorists arrested in connection with the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir, and spoke in an intimidating tone in English and Hindi.
Soon after, another person contacted her claiming to be from the Thiruvananthapuram cyber cell headquarters, introducing himself as SI Sureshkumar and speaking in Malayalam. He reportedly told her a case had been registered against her and sought personal information.
The MLA said people in police uniform later appeared on a video call and instructed her to stay alone in a room and not speak to anyone until the “inquiry” was completed. She provided certain documents and details, including her Aadhaar number, before becoming suspicious when they claimed a Mumbai bank account existed in her name and that its funds were used for terror activities.
Cyber Crime Inspector Nipun Shankar said a detailed probe is under way and cautioned that there is no such official procedure as “digital arrest”, urging the public to remain vigilant.
