Overview
- Shivkumar Verma, 68, was found dead by suicide at his Barkhedi residence, with a note saying a fake HDFC account in his name was shown funding a Pahalgam attacker and that he feared being branded anti‑national.
- Investigators identified a suspicious call during CDR analysis and sent Verma’s phone for detailed forensics, with efforts under way to access locked WhatsApp data.
- Police are checking whether spoofed or VoIP numbers were used and are verifying the location and identity of the traced caller.
- Bhopal’s police chief said no prior complaint was filed in this case and urged immediate reporting in similar extortion attempts, noting an active investigation with legal action in progress.
- Officials link the death to a recent surge of 'digital arrest' cases in the city, including a November 20 incident in which fraudsters extorted ₹68 lakh from a retired bank manager.