Dindigul Cyber Crime Police have arrested five persons on charges of cheating an ex-serviceman of ₹46.76 lakh under the guise of getting him higher returns on investment.According to the police, N. Rajapandi of Dindigul, a retired soldier who is currently employed in a government department, had registered his mobile number through a link provided in a video pertaining to investment last year.Subsequently, he was contacted through a WhatsApp number and was promised high returns if he invested in a particular company. He was added to a WhatsApp group which had about 150 members. Information regarding stock trading training and strategies for achieving high profits was shared on the group on a daily basis.Rajapandi provided details with regard to PAN card and Aadhaar card, and a primary trading account was opened for him. He was instructed to download and use an app.Following this, Rajapandi transferred money from his bank accounts to various UPI IDs and bank accounts that were specified to him. Between January 2 and January 29 this year, he invested a total of ₹46,76,499 in multiple instalments.Meanwhile, the investment amount that was displayed on the app had gone up. When he attempted to transfer the amount to his bank account, he was told that the transfer could be processed if he deposited an additional amount of ₹60 lakh.Growing suspicious, he realised he had fallen victim to an online investment scam and lodged a complaint with the Dindigul Cyber ​​Crime Police. A case was registered based on his complaint.Following a thorough investigation by the Dindigul Cyber ​​Crime Police, five persons were arrested. The arrested have been identified as Karumalaiyan and Sakthikumar from Ramanathapuram, Prakash from Salem, Mahalingam from Namakkal, and Murugan from Virudhunagar. The accused have been remanded to judicial custody. Published - August 09, 2026 09:30 pm IST