Belagavi police have arrested a man from a village in Gujarat in connection with the tragic double suicide of an elderly couple in the district.
The accused, Chirag Jeevarajbai Lakkad from Surat district, was taken into custody on Monday.
He allegedly coerced 83-year-old Diego Nazareth and his 79-year-old wife Flaviana Nazareth from Beedi village near Khanapur into transferring ₹6.1 lakh by threatening them with a so-called “digital arrest.”
The couple was found dead at their home in Beedi village on March 28, 2025.
They had left behind a detailed note naming individuals who had harassed them and those to whom they owed money.
Investigations revealed that the couple had sent the money to an account under the name Balaji Industries in IDFC Bank.
Chirag is accused of redirecting the funds to multiple accounts using a mobile number linked to that bank account on his devices.
Police have seized two mobile phones used in the transactions.
The accused has been remanded to judicial custody.
