A 48-year-old BESCOM contract worker tragically took his own life after falling victim to an elaborate cyber scam known as digital arrest. K Kumara, a resident of HSR Layout, Bengaluru, was discovered hanging from a tree in Kelagere village, Ramanagara district, on Tuesday.
Kumara had been manipulated by scammers impersonating Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials. In a suicide note, he detailed the psychological torment he endured. The fraud began when he received a video call from a man identifying himself as CBI officer Vikram Goswami. Claiming that a criminal case had been filed against him, the caller threatened immediate arrest if he didn’t pay.
In fear, Kumara initially transferred ₹1.9 lakh. Over the next several days, he was coerced into sending more money—up to ₹13 lakh. Desperate, he borrowed heavily from friends and family, unaware of the ongoing scam.
His wife, Savitramma, recalled him speaking in Hindi to unknown individuals for over two weeks. She had urged him to confide in his brother. He left for the village on Monday, citing urgent work. A day later, he was found dead, with the suicide note in his pocket.
Police traced the fraudsters’ numbers to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and have filed an abetment to suicide case. This marks the third cyber fraud-linked suicide in Karnataka this year.
Be alert: Never trust unknown calls demanding money under pressure.