E-Paper
Operation Shutdown: Jhalawar police bust inter-state cyber fraud gang targeting govt welfare schemes
The police recovered ₹52.69 lakh in cash, a currency counting machine, 35 laptops and computers, 70 mobile phones, 12 luxury vehicles, among other things.
The Jhalawar police in Rajasthan have busted a large inter-state cyber fraud syndicate involved in scams targeting central and state government welfare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan). The police action, codenamed ‘Operation Shutdown’, led to the arrest of 30 individuals, including the alleged mastermind, and the seizure of ₹53 lakh in cash, luxury vehicles, and thousands of fraudulent banking documents.
According to Jhalawar superintendent of police Amit Kumar, the operation involved over 70 police teams working continuously for 70 hours. The police recovered ₹52.69 lakh in cash, a currency counting machine, 35 laptops and computers, 70 mobile phones, 12 luxury vehicles (30 vehicles in total), and thousands of cheque books, ATM cards, passbooks, and identity documents linked to over 11,000 suspicious bank accounts.
The police said the syndicate, led by Ramavatar Saini from Bandikui in Dausa, exploited welfare and pension schemes such as PM-Kisan by manipulating official portals and disaster management systems. Individuals without land holdings or eligible backgrounds were persuaded to share their bank and identification details in exchange for promised benefits. The gang allegedly secured fake approvals, diverted government funds, and retained 50–75% of the disbursed amount as commission.
The investigation revealed links across Jhalawar, Kota, Bundi, Dausa, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, with fraudulent transactions conducted systematically through multiple bank accounts. Technical evidence from mobile devices and financial records established the network’s organised structure and reach.
SP Amit Kumar said the State Bank of India is assisting in examining the recovered financial data. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to probe the case.
The probe began on August 8 following a tip about fraudulent activities in the Kamkheda area of Jhalawar involving one Asik Ali. Cyber police officers, including inspectors Ravi Sen and Sumit Kumar, conducted an extensive investigation, analysing suspicious transactions and mapping the syndicate’s network.
Subsequently, a confidential ‘red plan’ was executed due to the sensitivity of the operation. Special teams, comprising senior officers, cyber experts, and female personnel, were deployed under real-time coordination from a Cyber Control Room at the district headquarters, supervised directly by the SP.
Simultaneous raids began at 6am on October 22, targeting over 30 locations across Jhalawar, Dausa, Jaipur, and nearby districts. All prime suspects were apprehended.
The raids led to the recovery of ₹52.69 lakh in cash, a currency counting machine, 13 cars, 16 motorcycles, and 2 tractors, along with 16 printers, fingerprint scanners, hard drives, SIM cards, USB drives, and QR scanners. Numerous bank and ID documents, official seals, and account-opening forms were also seized. The total value of recovered items exceeds ₹3 crore.
