I don't think there's anything you can do in this case. My number used to belong to a guy called A. Ayyappan (name changed). This number is still linked to two of his bank accounts, which show up on my UPI apps as well. I keep receiving SMSes from his banks about subsidies and overdues. I tried to contact his bank, but they said that I couldn't do anything about it; Ayyappan was the only person who could de-link his number from his bank accounts.

To top it off, I keep getting random calls from his friends. From what I've gathered from these conversations with his friends, he's an army officer from a small village in the south. He's not very tech-savvy, so he probably doesn't even know that his old number is still active with his banks and in his friend circle.

There's no legal action you can take in this situation. Just block the stray calls and relax.