Navdunia Representative, Bhopal: The terrorist attack of Pahalgam in Kashmir was a national tragedy for the country, but now by taking the name of the same attack, cyber thugs have opened a new chapter of fear and loot in Bhopal. By spreading fear in the name of terrorism, the thugs have so far ‘digitally arrested’ more than 20 people in the city and put their lives in terror.
Senior citizens are becoming the biggest victims of this cyber terror. The fraudsters call from unknown numbers and pretend to be officers of Delhi or Mumbai Crime Branch, ED, NIA or other central agencies. The victims are told that their names have come up in the investigation of the Pahalgam attack and that they are linked to terrorist funding. They are kept on video call by threatening them with arrest and jail and in the name of investigation, information about bank accounts is taken and money is transferred.
The shocking thing is that not only the common elderly but also senior lawyers, retired teachers and many former government officials have become victims of this fraud.
cyber fraud is a big threat
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Similar false allegations leveled against a senior lawyer in Jahangariabad area left him mentally broken and ultimately he took the step of suicide. This incident highlights this new and dangerous face of cyber fraud. While the Pahalgam attack was a challenge to the security of the country, this cyber fraud being carried out in its name has become another, silent terror for the elderly.
Senior advocate had hanged himself
Shivkumar Sharma, 68, a senior district court advocate living in Barkhedi area of Jahangirabad police station area, had received a phone call from cyber thugs. The thugs had accused him of funding terrorists in the Pahalgam attack. Frightened by this, he committed suicide by hanging himself. Jahangirabad police had found a suicide note from the room of the deceased, in which he had also mentioned this.
Police did rescue
In December 2025, 75-year-old senior advocate Shams Ul Hasan, resident of Kohefiza, also received a WhatsApp video call from a similar unknown number. The caller identified himself as Pune ATS Sub Inspector Abhay Pratap Singh and said that Shams Ul Hasan’s name has been linked to the Pahalgam terror attack. On receiving information about this, Kohefiza police officials went and rescued him.
Retired officer cheated of Rs 48 lakh
A retired BHEL officer and his wife living in Saket Nagar were duped of Rs 48 lakh by cyber thugs by keeping them under digital arrest for two and a half months. Cyber thugs had called him posing as officers of a central agency and accused him of funding the Pahalgam terrorist attack. In the name of investigation, he asked for information about all the banks and then got the deposited amount transferred. Not only this, pressure was also created to borrow Rs 20 lakh from relatives.
Rs 52 lakh were extorted from BHEL officer
75 year old Rajendra Singh, resident of Saket Nagar is also retired from BHEL. On November 28, an unknown person made a WhatsApp video call to him and introduced himself as an officer of Jahangirabad Police. He accused Rajendra of opening a fake bank account using his Aadhaar card and funding the terrorist attack from that account. The thugs had even claimed to issue a warrant against the husband and wife and thus extorted Rs 52 lakh.
Now a similar case has been registered in Piplani police station
63 year old Asha Jain lives alone in Kalpana Nagar located in Piplani area. On December 29, a call was received on his phone from an unknown number. He described himself as an officer of the central agency. The thugs alleged that money has been sent to your bank account from the account of terrorists of Pahalgam attack. It will be investigated and send us Rs 2.5 lakh deposited in the bank account. The old woman sent the amount and then when she told the whole story to her daughter, the fraud was exposed. SI Umesh Mishra said that a case has been registered on the complaint of the victim.
Cyber thugs create fear among people by telling about their connection with terrorists, due to which people fall into their trap. Many similar complaints have been received continuously. People need to be aware, if any agency or police makes such allegations then they are physically present or action is taken by calling the nearest police station.
-Shailendra Singh Chauhan, Additional DCP, Crime Branch
