Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Cyber Crime Police Station, Goa, has arrested a 21-year-old man from Kerala in connection with a “digital arrest” cyber fraud case involving ₹90,85,000. The offence was registered on February 23, 2026, following a complaint by a Panaji resident who was allegedly cheated through impersonation and online threats.
According to police, the accused and his associates contacted the complainant via multiple WhatsApp numbers, impersonating officials of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Mumbai. They allegedly claimed that the victim had misused personal information and was linked to a money laundering case involving Naresh Goel. The complainant was then placed under a so-called “digital arrest” and coerced into transferring ₹90,85,000 to settle the fabricated case.
Based on technical analysis, investigators traced one suspect to Malappuram, Kerala. A police team led by PSI Navin Naik, along with PC Yash Kole and PC Siharamayya Math, arrested Muhammad Rasique Pulikkal (21), a resident of Nediyiruppu, Chirayil, Malappuram, under the supervision of SP Raju Raut Dessai, ASP B.V. Shridevi, and PI Deepak Pednekar.
Police said the accused had received ₹5 lakh in his bank account, which was later routed to multiple accounts of his associates. Further analysis revealed that the same account was linked to two additional cyber fraud cases in Karnataka and Goa, with a cumulative fraud amount of ₹2.10 crore.
The accused was produced before the court for police custody. Further investigation is underway under the supervision of PI Deepak Pednekar, Cyber Crime Police Station, Goa.
