Coimbatore youth rescued from cyber fraudsters in Cambodia dies

COIMBATORE: A 22-year-old youth from Selvapuram in Coimbatore died in Cambodia on Wednesday after he was rescued from the clutches of cyber fraudsters in poor health condition by Indian embassy officials on Tuesday.

D Nandakumar, 22, of LIC Colony at Selvapuram was rescued from his room after his mother D Geetha, 40, informed the embassy officials, and admitted to a hospital where he died without responding to treatment around 11pm on Wednesday.

Geetha petitioned the collector on Thursday, requesting the govt to bring the body of her son to Coimbatore. Nandakumar, who was working in a hotel in Cambodia town for the past year, was allegedly forced by cyber fraudsters to join a call centre around one-and-a-half months ago. He was forcibly restrained in a room and treated poorly by the fraudsters when he refused to join the call centre.

In her petition, Geetha said her son was unwell for the past one month.

When TOI spoke to Geetha, she said, “Some cyber fraudsters took him to call a centre, where he refused to work. They snatched his passport and kept him in a room. As he refused to partake in any cybercrime-related activities, they didn’t provide food. My son became sick and informed us of his plight over phone. We immediately informed the embassy officials, who rescued him.”

“Initially, the embassy officials demanded Rs 7 lakh to bring back the body. Later, they demanded Rs 3.5 lakh,” Geetha said. The district administration officials assured her that they would take steps to bring back the body soon.

Geetha, a domestic worker, said her son was the sole breadwinner of her family.

Nandakumar, who completed Class X, was working in a hotel in Coimbatore before going to Cambodia.