Bhubaneswar: The Cyber Crime and Economic Offences Wing Tuesday arrested a man in connection with a digital fraud in which an elderly city resident was cheated of Rs 30 lakh by fraudsters posing as Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) officials, police said.
The accused has been identified as Gulipagi Chiranjeevi (38) of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh.
According to police, the complainant said that November 6, 2025, his wife received a call from an unknown number claiming their SIM card was linked to criminal activity.
The caller, posing as a TRAI official, later transferred the call to individuals impersonating Mumbai Police officers.
The fraudsters conducted WhatsApp video calls, shared forged documents—including a fake arrest warrant allegedly linked to an Enforcement Directorate case—and threatened immediate arrest.
The couple was told to stay home, avoid contacting anyone, and was coerced into transferring money for a supposed audit.
Out of fear, the complainant transferred Rs 30 lakh from his SBI account to multiple bank accounts provided by the accused.
Police arrested Gulipagi and seized two mobile phones, an ATM card, a cheque book, a PAN card, and an Aadhaar card from his possession.
Gulipagi was booked under Sections 127(4), 127(7), 308(2), 318(2), 318(4), 319(2), 336(2), 336(3), 338, 342 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, and was forwarded to court. Further investigation into the case is underway.