Jodhpur, Rajasthan: Twelve years ago, Dehraj Bhil, a Hindu resident of Sindh in Pakistan, fled to India with his wife and children after his elder brother was murdered in a communal attack. The move came after Dehraj’s attempts to get justice failed and he realised that “Hindus have no dignity or rights in Pakistan”.
They left everything behind – home, land, memories, to escape religious persecution.
In 2013, the family crossed the border and began rebuilding their lives in Gangana village, on the outskirts of Jodhpur. Dehraj, along with his wife and two elder sons, Dileep and Harish, started working as construction labour. As the family’s situation slowly got better, Harish found work at a factory, Dileep dropped out of work and got enrolled in a school, and Dehraj himself, who suffered a back injury during work, opened a stationery shop near a government school.
The shop, which also serves as an e-Mitra centre, after obtaining all legal verifications, was opened last year. It was around this time when he received his Indian citizenship as well.
But on April 3, 2025, that fragile stability came crashing down.
The Scam
As per a complaint given by Dehraj to the police, around 8.40 pm, a stranger walked into his e-Mitra centre and asked for ₹12,000 in cash, promising to transfer the amount via UPI. Dehraj, trusting the system and the scanner, handed over the cash after seeing a ₹12,120 credit notification.
The next morning, he received a message that his account had been frozen by the cyber cell due to fraudulent activity.
Dehraj rushed to the Union Bank branch. Officials told him that the funds received were part of a cyber scam, and unless he paid ₹13,000 from his own pocket, his account would remain blocked. He had no choice but to comply. To avoid future complications, he transferred the remaining balance to his son Dileep’s account.
The Second Blow
Two months later, both father and son’s accounts were blocked again, this time with an additional demand of ₹35,000. Unable to understand the complex banking and cyber maze, the family was devastated. Dileep’s health started deteriorating under the stress. The local police simply told him that “it happens” and Dehraj must “immediately close his and his son’s bank accounts”. “We are helpless,” the police told Dehraj, as per his account.
With no help from the police or cyber helpline, Dehraj turned to Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation, an organisation that has long worked for the rehabilitation of Pakistani Hindu refugees.
When Help Arrived
After Dehraj narrated his story to Rashtra Jyoti, Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation came forward for his help. The Foundation reimbursed the entire amount lost in the scam. They also helped Dehraj seek legal counsel to formally contest the liability and close the affected bank accounts to prevent future damage.
The family is still fighting to restore normalcy, but the emotional weight has lightened. Dehraj says his shop is running again. He remains grateful to Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation for stepping in when even the system did not.
“I left Pakistan for safety and dignity. But for a moment, it felt like I had lost everything again. Then help came – not from the police, but from those who truly care about people like us,” he said.
Watch the video by Sewa Nyaya Utthan Foundation:
Larger Question
Cyber fraud is becoming a new form of exploitation, especially of those unfamiliar with technology. Dehraj’s story is a chilling reminder that our systems must evolve to protect the most vulnerable, not punish them.
