'You are being digitally arrested': Goa couple dies by suicide, leaves note saying 'donate our bodies'

The bodies were discovered by neighbours who immediately informed the Nandgad police.

An elderly couple from Bidi village near Khanapur in Karnataka's Belagavi district reportedly died by suicide on Thursday night after allegedly facing sustained harassment and extortion by cyber fraudsters.

The victims, identified as Diago Santan Nazareth (82) and his wife Flaviana Nazareth (79), took their own lives after transferring more than Rs 50 lakh to unidentified cyber criminals, reported The New Indian Express. According to police, Diago slit his throat while Flaviana consumed poison, mentions the report.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhimashankar Guled said the couple had been receiving threatening video calls from cyber fraudsters, who claimed that Diago was being "digitally arrested" for alleged misuse of his SIM card. Despite paying a large sum under pressure, the threats reportedly continued, driving them to take the extreme step, it has been learnt from the report.

The bodies were discovered by neighbours who immediately informed the Nandgad police. Flaviana was found dead inside their home, while Diago's body was recovered from an underground water tank within their premises. The bodies were later shifted to the Government Hospital in Khanapur for further procedures.

Police recovered a suicide note written in English, in which the couple explained that they had borrowed money from individuals in Goa to make payments to the fraudsters. The note mentioned that the loans could be repaid by selling their assets. Diago also revealed that the harassment came from a person posing as a senior telecom official from Delhi.

Diago, a retired employee of the Maharashtra Government Secretariat (Mantralaya), was also known for coaching students for competitive examinations, the report further states.

The suicide note included the couple's wish for their bodies to be donated to medical colleges for academic purposes. However, the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) declined to accept the bodies due to technical reasons. Subsequently, they were buried at a cemetery in Bidi, as per the report.