Chandigarh pensioner loses ₹12 lakh in online fraud, three held

Identified as Aatish, Ayush and Sanjay, the suspects were arrested by the cyber cell in Nagpur and brought on transit remand to Chandigarh

The Chandigarh Police cyber cell has arrested three men for alleged fraudulent withdrawal of ₹12.65 lakh from a pensioner’s bank account and using it to buy cryptocurrencies.

According to the cyber cell, the suspects moved the money to an online wallet and used it to buy cryptocurrencies. (Stock photo)

Identified as Aatish, Ayush and Sanjay, the suspects were arrested in Nagpur and brought on transit remand to Chandigarh. They are likely to be produced in court on Wednesday.

The victim has been identified as Krishan Kanhiya, a resident of Sector 41, Chandigarh, who retired from an insurance firm. He was targeted by the trio between January 28 and 31. The fraud came to light on February 1, after Kanhiya’s son Rahul Rawat checked his account details at Axis Bank, Sector 17. A case was registered at the police station in Sector 17.

According to sources, the suspects had moved the money to an online wallet through online banking and further invested it into cryptocurrencies. They were arrested after the mobile phone used for online transaction was traced to Maharashtra, said a cyber cell sleuth privy to the case.