Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has rescued an 80-year-old doctor and his family in Bhadradri Kothagudem district after they were held in a digital arrest for three days by cybercriminals posing as CBI officials.

According to TGCSB Director Shikha Goel, the ordeal began on November 20 when the doctor, who runs a nursing home in Bhadrachalam, received WhatsApp video calls from fraudsters alleging that a bank account opened with his Aadhaar in Mumbai was linked to over 100 criminal cases. Claiming to be CBI officers, the callers warned the doctor, his daughter-in-law and minor granddaughter not to inform anyone, insisting they were under surveillance.

The family was forced to stay on continuous video calls and reveal detailed banking information. The scammers also pressured them to prematurely break fixed deposits in preparation for transferring funds.

Their absence from the hospital alerted an assistant, who eventually learned of the coercion and alerted the District Cyber Crime Coordination Centre late on November 23. Deputy SP Ashok Babu and Inspector Jitender intervened swiftly, cutting off contact with the fraudsters and ending the family’s distress. A technical investigation is underway to trace the network behind the extortion attempt.