HYDERABAD: When Prime Minister Narendra Modi played the video on Sunday in his Mann Ki Baat episode to highlight how a Vijayapura district resident in Karnataka tactfully dealt with a cyber fraudsters who tried to con him under the pretext of a ‘Digital Arrest’, senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) prior to this had to contact a Telangana cadre officer to launch a hunt to trace the victim.
The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), more than a week ago, zeroed in on Santosh Patil’s video, which went viral in September after Telangana’s senior IPS officer, VC Sajjanar, posted it on his X handle. PMO tasked MHA officials to trace Santosh since the PMO wanted to know first hand experience of Santosh to mention during PM’s Mann Ki Baat.
“I got the video from my local acquaintance in Vijayapura, and I was shocked as the cyber fraudsters were wearing a police uniform while speaking to Santosh to con him. But Santosh, on suspicion, recorded the video and evaded the fraudster’s trap. To create awareness, I posted it on my X handle on September 19, and it went viral,” Sajjanar said.
After he was contacted by the PMO through the MHA, Santosh’s contact was traced by the IPS officer after several hours of effort. The PMO officials later spoke to Santosh, who was in a state of shock about the sudden development.
After his recorded video call conversation with the fraudster was played in Mann Ki Baat, Santosh spoke to the IPS officer and thanked him for becoming the communication bridge.
