22-year-old held for duping ex-govt official of ₹1.19 crore

The suspect revealed that he was in contact with the digital arrest gang and was assigned to make fake bank accounts for them

Noida: A 22-year-old man has been arrested from Haryana by the cybercrime branch police, Noida, in connection with a digital arrest case of a 68-year-old retired government official who was duped to the tune of ₹1.19 crore in the second week of October, officers said on Tuesday.

Sinha, the former government official, was asked to declare his financial status, and on the pretext of tracking a digital code to nab the real culprit, they made him transfer ₹1.19 crore in three instalments. (Representational image)

Police identified the suspect as Naresh Kumar, an unemployed resident of Bhiwani in Haryana.

“Following electronic surveillance and investigation, the accused Naresh was arrested from Gurugram (Haryana) on Tuesday. He revealed that he was in contact with the digital arrest gang and was assigned to make fake bank accounts for them,” said Preeti Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), cybercrime branch.

The investigation revealed that ₹92 lakh were transferred to Naresh’s bank account which has now been frozen. Further investigation is underway, the DCP said, adding: “The accused also revealed that he was offered 10 percent of the transferred amount. He was also tasked to make more fake bank accounts to transfer more money.”

His arrest followed a complaint filed on October 16 by Rakesh Kumar Sinha, a former government official, at the cybercrime branch police station in Sector 36, reporting that he was put under “digital arrest” from October 11 to 14.

He had received a call from an unidentified number. The caller, pretending to be a bank employee, informed him that ₹1.9 lakh amount is due in his credit card issued in Mumbai.

“When Sinha denied any link to the credit card, the suspect transferred the call to ‘Mumbai Police’ to file an online FIR and told Sinha that the issue would be closed after that,” said Vijay Kumar Gautam, station house officer, cybercrime branch.

Sinha was later told that his Aadhaar was misused in a ₹2.56 crore fraud linked to a bank. He was told that the central bureau of investigation (CBI) was probing the case, and then the call was transferred to a fake officer.

“When I spoke to that CBI official, he said ₹300 crore had been taken out from the bank, and more than 300 people had been cheated through a chit fund scam, and that my ID had been misused,” Sinha stated in the FIR.

The suspect sought Sinha’s cooperation to drop his name and put him over a video call for four days. He was allowed to perform his personal tasks during that digital arrest. “Sinha was asked to declare his financial status, and on the pretext of tracking a digital code to nab the real culprit, they made him transfer ₹1.19 crore in three instalments,” the SHO said.

“When Sinha did not receive any clearance as assured, he realised that he was duped,” the officer added.

A case under sections 308(2) (extortion), 319(2) (cheating by personation), and 318(4) (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and IT Act was registered at the cybercrime branch police station.

Meanwhile, DCP Yadav said: “Police don’t put anyone under digital arrest. If anyone receives such a call, they can dial 1930 or approach the local police station.”