Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 18: In a major cyber fraud case, former Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral, son of late Prime Minister I.K. Gujral, was allegedly cheated of crores of rupees after fraudsters impersonated him on WhatsApp and tricked his company's financial team into transferring funds.

According to reports, the fraud took place between June 12 and June 16, when cybercriminals created a WhatsApp account using Gujral's profile picture and sent messages to a trusted employee handling financial transactions for his company.

Believing the instructions had come directly from Gujral, the employee reportedly carried out four RTGS transfers to a bank account specified by the fraudsters. The transactions amounted to several crores of rupees, making it one of the biggest cyber fraud cases reported in Delhi this year.

The fraud was detected on June 16 after the transactions came to the attention of Gujral's daughter, Diksha Gujral. When she sought confirmation from her father, he denied issuing any such instructions, prompting the family to realise they had fallen victim to an impersonation scam.

The family subsequently contacted the National Cyber Crime Helpline (1930), following which an e-FIR was registered and an investigation launched.

Speaking about the incident, Naresh Gujral said the swift response of Delhi's cybercrime authorities helped prevent further losses. He said officials acted immediately after receiving the complaint and managed to freeze nearly 70 per cent of the transferred amount before it could be withdrawn.

Gujral also revealed that the bank had contacted the company's Chief Financial Officer before processing the transactions. However, assuming that the instructions had been authorised by Gujral, the CFO reportedly approved the transfers.

Authorities have placed a lien on a substantial portion of the funds while efforts are underway to trace the accused and recover the remaining amount.

Urging people to remain vigilant, Gujral stressed the importance of reporting cyber frauds without delay, saying prompt action by law enforcement agencies can significantly reduce financial losses.

Naresh Gujral, a Chartered Accountant by profession, heads a manufacturing business dealing in textiles, leather and apparel products. He is the son of former Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral, who served as India's Prime Minister between 1997 and 1998.