Gujarat farmer dies by suicide after digital arrest scam by fake ATS officer

AHMEADABAD: A 65-year-old farmer from Gujarats Vadodara district died by suicide after being trapped in a terrifying digital arrest scam by cyber fraudsters posing as Delhi Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) officers. The scammers subjected him to a day-long barrage of threats over a fabricated Rs 40-crore fraud case, leaving his family shattered and demanding strict police action as Dabhoi police launch a full investigation. A chilling and possibly first-of-its-kind case of a farmer driven to suicide after being trapped in a digital arrest scam has jolted the Kayavarohan area of Vadodara district. The victim, 65-year-old Atulbhai Hirabhai Patel, a resident of Kaka Ramna Phalia, was allegedly hunted, harassed and psychologically crushed by fraudsters who posed as Delhi ATS officers and claimed he was embroiled in a 40-crore bank fraud investigation. The nightmare began when cyber criminals allegedly called Atulbhai repeatedly, warning him that the Anti-Terrorist Squad was watching him and probing his alleged involvement in a massive financial crime. The callers, switching between WhatsApp voice and video calls every few minutes, allegedly declared him digitally arrested, instructing him not to leave the house and to remain constantly available. Fear reportedly consumed him. Pressure mounted. Silence tightened. And by Monday at 5 am, the farmer swallowed poison. The family, who sensed something was wrong but could not persuade him to speak, said the threats had completely shattered him. Our uncle is no longer with us today he was restless for three days, said his nephew Ansh Patel, holding back emotion as he recounted the final hours. We kept asking him what happened; friends asked too but he told no one anything. He was terrified. At 5 am he consumed the poison. We rushed him to the hospital. He died the next morning. Linking their suspicion with the evidence on his phone, relatives dialled the number that had allegedly been tormenting Atulbhai. Shockingly, the man on the other end allegedly sent an ID card claiming he was Inspector Gaurav Grover of ATS Delhi, further confirming the scale of the scam. The WhatsApp profile, the family says, displayed two flags and a symbol with 3C in the middle, adding to the suspicion of a large, organised cyber-crime network. Ansh, who also received threatening calls from the same fraudsters, said the intimidation was relentless. These cyber crooks were calling every five minutes threatening not to leave the house. My uncle told me alone, Delhi Police are calling me. He was so scared he was under digital arrest for a whole day. With the village plunged into mourning and the incident sending shockwaves across the region, the family has vowed to pursue justice. We will file an FIR. We want the strictest action. Cybercrime is increasing I appeal to people, dont lose your life the way my uncle did, Ansh said. Dabhoi police have begun an investigation, examining the digital trail, phone data and WhatsApp identifiers tied to the suspected cyber-fraud network. Officers say preliminary evidence suggests a highly coordinated scam allegedly designed to mentally imprison victims through fear of law enforcement. As Kayavarohan mourns its elderly farmer, the case stands as a grim reminder of how digital extortion can push even the most grounded individuals into fatal despair, exposing the urgent need for cyber-crime awareness and swift police action.