Kannur (Kerala): The Kannur City Cyber Police have arrested a 28-year-old man from Punjab for allegedly extorting ₹10.5 lakh from a woman doctor in Thalassery by threatening her with a so-called “digital arrest.”
The accused has been identified as Jivan Ram, a resident of Ludhiana district in Punjab. According to police officials, the incident took place on November 30, 2025.
Investigators said the victim was contacted through a WhatsApp video call by individuals impersonating officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) based in Mumbai. The fraudsters allegedly told the doctor that a money laundering case had been registered in her name and warned her of immediate legal action unless she paid money to “settle” the matter.
Fearing arrest, the doctor reportedly transferred a total amount of ₹10.5 lakh to multiple bank accounts as instructed by the callers. Police said the accused later withdrew the money using cheques.
Acting on directions from Kannur City Police Commissioner Nidhinraj P, a special cyber police team tracked the digital trail and identified the suspect’s location in a village in Ludhiana. The operation proved challenging as the accused frequently changed his whereabouts, and the police team had to operate under difficult weather conditions in Punjab.
After nearly five days of continuous surveillance, the police successfully arrested the accused, officials confirmed. Further investigation is underway to determine whether more people were involved in the scam and if similar frauds were carried out elsewhere.
