Digi arrest: Sr loses ₹22 L but bank mgr saves another ₹12 L

An alert manager of a bank in Koparkhairane saved an 80-year-old man from continuing to fall prey to fraudsters and losing Rs12 lakh of his Fixed Deposit.

- Raina Assainar

Surendrakumar Rastogi, a retired officer from Nuclear Power Corporation of India, is one of the latest victims of 'digital arrest' that has been rampant across the country. He had already lost Rs21.94 lakh, and was about to lose Rs12 lakh more but was saved because of Lakshman Dhamale, 55, the manager of Unity Small Finances Bank Ltd at Sector 6 in Koparkhairane.

On November 13, Rastogi received a call purportedly from the RBI, informing him that his pension was being blocked as an arrest warrant had been issued against him. Giving him a chance for his age, he was told he will get a call from the CBI. One inspector S Lakshman called him on WhatsApp from Hyderabad, claiming that he had proof of involvement in a scam related to Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal.