Overview

• The Delhi Police’s Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations unit registered an FIR on September 19 and opened a probe into the coercive scam targeting Naresh Malhotra.
• Between August 4 and September 4, the victim was kept under virtual confinement, forced to liquidate investments and transfer about Rs 23 crore after threats and forged legal documents.
• Fraudsters impersonated telecom staff and officers of the Mumbai Police, Enforcement Directorate and CBI, using fabricated bail and court papers and warnings of harm to enforce secrecy.
• Investigators report the money was layered through more than 4,000 accounts nationwide, with portions already frozen as teams coordinate with banks to trace and recover funds.
• In a separate Bengaluru case, police recovered Rs 14 lakh lost by MP K. Sudhakar’s wife after she called the 1930 cyber helpline promptly and a court ordered Yes Bank to return the frozen amount; other public figures, including Sudha Murthy, have filed complaints about similar attempts.