The Ernakulam Rural police arrested a Karnataka native on September 29 (Sunday) in connection with the alleged defrauding of ₹11.50 lakh from a Kizhakkambalam native after promising him huge profits through online trading.

Prakash Eerappa, 49, of Gulbarga was arrested by the Thadiyittaparambu police. He allegedly claimed to be the chief of a private company’s share marketing division and gained the victim’s trust by communicating through social media and WhatsApp calls. Prakash and his gang reportedly blocked his number when the victim demanded the return of the invested amount and profits.

A probe revealed that the fraudsters had ‘purchased’ bank accounts of others and conducted transactions worth lakhs, while the money illegally obtained was converted into Bitcoin. The police gathered information on the fraud by staying undercover in Karnataka which revealed that many had been cheated by the gang.

The police exhorted people to report online frauds as swiftly as possible in the helpline number 1930, to enable freezing of the accounts and to recover the lost amount.

Cop suspended

A Sub-Inspector of Kothamangalam Police Station, Hari Prasad, was suspended on Sunday by the Ernakulam Range DIG on the charge of making a social media post that was reportedly defamatory to CPI(M) activist Puthukudi Pushpan, who died on Saturday after being bedridden for 30 years following the Koothuparamba police firing incident that took place three decades ago.

In addition, a departmental enquiry has been ordered against him, for alleged violation of discipline.