Former Aligarh Mayor Trapped in ‘Digital Arrest’ Scam, Confined for Three Days

Former Aligarh mayor Shakuntala Bharti became a victim of a shocking “digital arrest” scam, where cybercriminals posing as Delhi Crime Branch officers held her and her husband virtually confined in their home for three days.

The incident began on November 1, when Bharti received a call from a man who introduced himself as “Shukla” from the Delhi Police. He claimed that a Rs 3 crore bank fraud case had been registered against her and that she could be arrested at any time.

“He said an inspector would call me and that I must cooperate,” Bharti recalled. Soon after, a woman claiming to be a police officer contacted her, alleging that a man named Shahrukh had been arrested and that Bharti’s Aadhaar card was found among his documents.

“She accused me of opening a bank account in Mumbai and earning commissions through it,” Bharti said. “I told her I had never been to Mumbai or opened any such account.”

The woman later sent a fake FIR on WhatsApp and instructed Bharti to remain inside her home, calling it a “digital arrest room.” “She kept me confined for hours at a time,” Bharti said. “For three days, my husband and I were mentally tortured. She kept asking whether the doors were locked and questioned every sound she heard.”

The scammer also demanded Rs 50 lakh, claiming it would help “make the case lighter.” Bharti refused, saying she could not afford such an amount.

Distressed and frightened, Bharti finally met District Magistrate Sanjeev Ranjan on Tuesday, who advised her to approach the cybercrime office. She later filed two complaints — one with Aligarh’s cybercrime unit and another at the Delhi Gate police station.

Delhi Gate SHO Vinod Kumar confirmed that a complaint had been received and said an investigation is underway.

Bharti has now appealed to the public to stay alert. “The mental torture is unbearable. Someone could even take their own life from this kind of harassment,” she said. “They took my Aadhaar and bank document photos over WhatsApp, and I fear they might misuse them.”

Police have urged citizens not to trust unknown callers claiming to be government officials and to report any such incidents immediately to the 1930 cybercrime helpline or cybercrime.gov.in.