A senior couple took their own lives after being swindled out of Rs 50 lakh by cybercriminals in Belagavi district, Karnataka. Diyango Najarat (83) took his own life by cutting his throat, while his spouse, Playviana Najarat (79), ingested poison. The pair allegedly left a suicide note detailing their distress and anxiety after being threatened by con artists pretending to be representatives from the Delhi Crime Branch.
As per police sources, the fraudsters reached out to the couple through a video call, wrongly claiming their involvement in a criminal case. The cybercriminals asserted that the couple’s phone number and identity document had been breached and requested Rs 5 lakh as a resolution payment.
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The pair, both retired and previously working at the Maharashtra Secretariat, settled the payment. However, the harassment continued. The scammers persisted in threatening and extorting additional funds from them, resulting in an overall loss estimated at over Rs 50 lakh.
The pair, who had no children or close relatives, kept the threats and extortion a secret from everyone.
Initially thought to be a murder case, the investigation shifted direction when authorities found the couple’s suicide note and scrutinized their phone records. The remains have been dispatched to Belagavi BIMS Hospital for autopsy.
“We have accessed their bank accounts and are still calculating the total amount extorted. This is a serious matter, and a detailed investigation is underway,” said a senior police official from Nandgad.
