Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
New Delhi, Nov 25 (IANS) The CBI has started investigating the complaint of a Kerala woman who was duped of Rs 1.86 crore by cyber criminals last year by posing as an official of a “secret agency”. An official gave this information on Tuesday.
CBI Superintendent of Police Aastha Modi gave approval to register FIR in the case.
Earlier, the Kerala High Court, through its judgment dated May 30, had transferred the investigation of the case from Kanjirapally police station in Kottayam to the CBI.
The complainant, Beena Dominic, 68, told investigators that on September 17, she received a call on her mobile number from an unknown person who identified himself as a member of “a secret agency set up by the Supreme Court of India to investigate the involvement of money laundering and corrupt bank officials and police officers”.
The complaint said the caller threatened her by saying that the CBI was investigating a case of money laundering from her Bombay Canara Bank account and an arrest warrant had been issued against her, which could be avoided if she cooperated with them by transferring funds as required, the complaint said. Kerala Police had filed an FIR on September 24, 2024.
In their complaint, they had named Salish Kumar, 47, a resident of Thrissur district, and holders of three bank accounts as suspects.
“The caller threatened that the complainant would be arrested, her children would lose their jobs and her bank accounts would be frozen. Acting under fear and duress due to these threats, the complainant was duped into transferring huge amounts of money from her bank accounts,” the CBI FIR, lodged on Monday, said.
The FIR was registered under Indian Justice Code sections 316(2), 318(4) and Information Technology Act 2000 66(B), which relate to criminal breach of trust and cheating, among other offences.
The complainant said that under threat, he made Indian currency bank transfers totaling Rs 1.86 crore through various transactions between September 17, 2024, and September 26, 2024.
The complaint states that the victim deposited money in the accounts of cyber cons in the name of Trinity Software Solutions in Yes Bank, ICICI Bank and IDFC Bank.
The CBI FIR approved by SP Aastha Modi said, “In compliance with the order of the Kerala High Court, the FIR in case Crime No. 1091/2024, Kanjirapally Police Station, Kottayam, is being re-registered with EO-III, CBI, New Delhi for further investigation…”
–IANS
rch/and