Lost and found: kudos to HP Police

Cyber frauds, we know, have become notoriously routine news these days … perhaps next only to headlines on CBI and ED raids on the so-called desh-ke-dushman civil society activists and urban Naxals! Their common recurrence and ubiquity have even fired the imagination of an ingenious TV producer to bring out an interesting serial ‘Jamtara’ to shine the light on how the clever fellows dupe not just the gullible but even the cyber-savvy. Therefore this personal story in this context needs telling.

Months ago with body and mind still licking Covid-inflicted woes, my wife decided to break the monotony of a sequestered two-some life by an online purchase. However, eventually she suffered her own Jamtara moment losing about 50,000 rupees in the process. Well, though moneywise I am rather loose (but not characterwise: being a sanskari Hindu-Indian after all!) but this loss did hurt. A pensioner’s pittance already scythed short by the unsparing hand of Income Tax, can’t withstand such brazenly audacious fraud happening in a matter of minutes. Yet, though shocked, but putting up a benign, reassuring face I consoled my upset wife with the usual vocabulary of philosophical endearments we husbands are so good at! Then we made an immediate dash to the bank and the local police station. The bank officials were empathetic and helpful but helpless (understandably so), though for the police having to deal with graver crimes it was just another ordinary, routine case. After some shove and push however, we managed to file a formal hand-written complaint. Thus solaced, we were back home, left to brood over the loss, my thrifty wife nursing an additional whammy of having been conned so cheaply.

Weeks passed. Our occasional inquiries at the police station hardly stirred much optimism. Gradually we reconciled ourselves to the inevitable, though the loss and the trickster getting away just like that, both rankled.

Then, when all seemed lost, suddenly, Fortune's rusty wheels turned for the better. It all started from a spur-of-the-moment congratulatory call to an ex-student of mine on a high seat in the police hierarchy on his having earned yet another prestigious laurel in his illustrious career. While doing so this cyber fraud was not even remotely in my thoughts. Weeks later, the idea just came like a sudden flash: why not speak to him? But then followed the spell of Hamletian dilemma: to speak or not; won’t it be an indiscreet overreach? I dithered. One day my (victim)-wife’s insistent logic that the financial loss was secondary, apprehending the culprit to prevent him from claiming more victims more vital, clinched the issue. And off went my hesitant message to him.

Lo and behold! From then on things began to happen on a fast track. The cyber cell at Shimla swung into action and a fresh case registered. I remained in regular touch with the officials including the young, suave, helpful SP. Soon came the edifying information about the culprit having been identified (a fellow from Pune), his antecedents known and bank account sealed. But a technical hitch suddenly surfaced up dousing our hopes. However an appearance at Shimla court untied the knot and soon there was an SMS flashing before our unbelieving eyes that an amount of 49989/- has been credited to the account!

 Though I duly thanked all the police personnel high and low for turning this cyber fraud into a success story, through this blog I once again express my gratitude to the HP police and wish them success in making our state free of crime; but shall raise a toast  after learning  that the fraudster has also been brought to book.

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