Dehradun: The Special Task Force (STF) of Uttarakhand Police has arrested the main accused involved in a Rs 45 lakh fraud case, officials said on Saturday.
The accused, identified as Pankaj Kumar from Deoria, Uttar Pradesh, was apprehended in Lucknow. This case involved a unique modus operandi where victims were intimidated through a fake 'digital arrest' by individuals posing as Mumbai police crime branch officials, they said.
Senior Superintendent of Police STF Navneet Bhullar clarified there is no such thing as 'digital arrest' in Indian law. He said, "People should immediately report such calls to the police if approached in this manner."
How the Fraud Unfolded
The incident came to light after a Kashipur resident filed a complaint in July 2024. The victim received a phone and WhatsApp call from an unknown number on July 9, claiming to be from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The caller alleged that 17 cases were registered against the victim's Aadhaar number and mobile number by the Mumbai crime branch and that the victim's SIM card would be blocked, officials said.
The fraudsters escalated the fear by transferring the call to a fake police officer named 'Hemraj Kohli,' impersonated via a video call. The callers, wearing a police uniform with a realistic office backdrop, sent fake IDs and documents, including an FIR linking the victim to a Rs 20 crore hawala scam, they said.
The STF revealed that the victim was instructed to remain alone in a room under the guise of 'custody' during the investigation. "They pressured the victim by stating that failing to comply would result in immediate arrest," the STF official said.
The fraudsters then demanded the victim's bank details, claiming the deposited money needed 'refinement' to prove innocence. To lend credibility, they presented fake Supreme Court rulings and official documents. Succumbing to fear, the victim transferred Rs 45.4 lakh through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) on July 10, STF officials said.
"Realising the scam later, the victim approached the police. The STF analysed digital evidence and traced the primary suspect. We recovered the mobile used in the fraud, two SIM cards, and a Punjab National Bank (PNB) chequebook," Bhullar added.
Bhullar said that the accused operated multiple fake current accounts for cybercrime, with transactions worth crores recorded. Complaints and FIRs from across states link to these accounts. The authorities have urged citizens to remain vigilant against similar cybercrime and report suspicious activities immediately.
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