Jun 28, 2025 06:46 PM IST
According to the FIR lodged a week later at the cyber crime police station, the caller claimed the scientist’s Aadhaar card had been misused to obtain SIM cards linked to serious crimes, including human trafficking and employment scams.
A recently retired senior scientist from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly has been allegedly defrauded of ₹1.29 crore by cybercriminals impersonating law enforcement officers, police said.
The victim, a researcher originally from West Bengal and residing with his family in government accommodation on the IVRI campus, stated in his complaint that he received a WhatsApp call on June 17 from someone claiming to be a Bengaluru police officer.
Confirming the case, inspector Dinesh Kumar Sharma said an FIR has been registered and efforts are on to trace the accused and freeze the accounts involved.
According to the FIR lodged a week later at the cyber crime police station, the caller claimed the scientist’s Aadhaar card had been misused to obtain SIM cards linked to serious crimes, including human trafficking and employment scams.
The caller further alleged that a man named Sadakat Khan had been arrested and had taken the scientist’s name during interrogation.
The scientist was then asked to contact another number, purportedly belonging to CBI officer Daya Nayak. When he did, another fraudster posing as Nayak claimed that illegal funds had been deposited into the scientist’s bank accounts. The victim was told to transfer all his savings to a “safe government account” for verification. He was assured the funds would be returned after the investigation.
Fearing arrest and under psychological pressure, the scientist complied, transferring ₹1.29 crore. He did not inform even his family and remained silent until a bank manager’s persistent questioning prompted him to rethink.
