Kannur (Kerala) | The Kannur City Cyber Police have arrested a man in connection with the extortion of Rs 10.5 lakh from a female doctor from Thalassery in this north Kerala district.

The accused, Jivan Ram (28) from Ludhiana in Punjab, had allegedly threatened the doctor with a "digital arrest" to coerce her into paying the money.

According to the police, the incident happened on November 30, 2025.

The fraudsters, pretending to be officers from the CBI in Mumbai, contacted the doctor over a WhatsApp video call.

They claimed a money laundering case was filed in her name and pressured her to transfer money to settle the matter.

The doctor allegedly sent Rs 10,50,000 across different accounts, which the accused later withdrew via cheque.

Digital arrest is a form of cybercrime in which fraudsters pose as law enforcement, court officials or personnel from government agencies to intimidate victims through audio and video calls. They hold the victims hostage and put pressure on them to transfer money.

The Kannur City Police, following instructions from Police Commissioner Nidhinraj P, tracked the accused to a village in Ludhiana.

Despite the accused constantly changing locations and a Kerala police team facing harsh weather conditions in Punjab, the accused was caught after five days of surveillance, police said