Ramakrishna Mission monk falls victim to Rs 2.52 crore 'Digital Arrest' scam

Swami Supradiptananda, the secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Gwalior, has become a victim of Madhya Pradesh’s largest known “Digital Arrest” fraud. Over 26 days, fraudsters posing as police officers kept him under virtual surveillance and manipulated him into transferring Rs 2.52 crore to 12 different bank accounts across the country. 

Also Read: Karnataka loses Rs 219.58 crore to ‘Digital Arrest’ fraud

The scam began on March 17 when the monk received a video call from an individual claiming to be a police officer from Nashik in Maharashtra. The caller falsely accused him of being linked to a money laundering case involving businessman Naresh Goyal. Preying on his fear and trust, the fraudsters convinced Swami Supradiptananda that he needed to cooperate with the investigation to avoid legal trouble. 

They insisted he remain under constant video call surveillance, a method now termed as a “Digital Arrest”. Over time, the monk was coerced into sending large sums of money under the belief that his name would be cleared and the funds would be returned by April 15. When the money wasn’t returned, he filed a formal complaint with Gwalior police. 

The Cyber police station is now investigating the case, which may be linked to a wider interstate or international fraud network. Authorities are working to trace the culprits and recover the stolen frauds.