Padma Bhushan recipient loses ₹57 lakh in digital arrest cyber fraud

Chennai: Padma Bhushan awardee and former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology, T Ramasami (77) has lost ₹57 lakh to a ‘digital arrest’ cyber fraud, according to reports, after scammers posing as law enforcement officers coerced him into transferring money to mule accounts, police said.

The Greater Chennai Police cybercrime wing has registered a case and is investigating the September incident. Fraudsters allegedly impersonated Delhi Police and CBI officials, claimed his Aadhaar details were linked to serious crimes, and kept him under constant video surveillance to isolate him.

Believing he was under investigation, Ramasami transferred ₹30 lakh and later foreclosed fixed deposits to send another ₹27 lakh. He approached the police after being asked to raise more money through his contacts.

Police said 1,203 ‘digital arrest’ complaints have been registered in Tamil Nadu so far this year, with senior citizens increasingly targeted. Victims have been advised to report immediately via the 1930 cybercrime helpline or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.