Daijiworld Media Network – Mumbai

Mumbai, Jun 16: The Mumbai Cyber Police have arrested a Delhi-based YouTuber, Piyush Katyal, for allegedly cheating a 45-year-old woman of nearly Rs 19 lac under the guise of medical emergencies.

Katyal, known for his prank videos on YouTube and with over 5 lac followers on social media, reportedly befriended the woman around four to five months ago through social media. The two began interacting via comments on his posts and later moved to private conversations and phone calls.

According to police, Katyal started seeking money from the woman, citing urgent medical needs. Initially sympathetic, the woman transferred money several times, believing his claims to be genuine. However, the requests became increasingly frequent and manipulative.

When the woman grew suspicious and hesitated to send more money, Katyal allegedly began threatening her. Police said he warned her that he would share screenshots of their private chats on social media and boasted of having connections in the police department to intimidate her.

Distressed, the woman lodged a complaint at the North Cyber Police Station. An FIR was registered, and police traced Katyal to Delhi, where he was taken into custody. He was brought to Mumbai and produced before a court, which remanded him to five days of police custody for further investigation.

Cyber police officials are now probing if Katyal has defrauded other individuals using similar tactics.