E-Paper
Covid vultures: 4 more arrested in Nalanda, turned over to Delhi cops
PATNA Four persons were arrested in Nalanda Tuesday during the ongoing crackdown by a joint team of Delhi Police and local police on rackets involved in duping hapless kin of Covid-19 patients in the name of providing oxygen cylinders and drugs
PATNA
Four persons were arrested in Nalanda Tuesday during the ongoing crackdown by a joint team of Delhi Police and local police on rackets involved in duping hapless kin of Covid-19 patients in the name of providing oxygen cylinders and drugs.
So far, 12 people have been arrested from Nalanda alone.
According to police, the suspects posed as self-help groups on social media and offered medicines, oxygen and hospital beds to lure potential victims.
According to Nalanda superintendent of police Hariprasath S, the four arrested on Tuesday were identified as Mithlesh Kumar, Deepak Kumar, Sharawan Mahto and Pankaj Kumar. He said 13 ATM cards, nine cellphones, a laptop and ₹20,000 in cash was seized from them.
The matter came to light when one Sharad Chandran of Dwarika Vihar in Delhi lodged a complaint on May 4 with the Delhi Police, alleging he was duped of ₹23, 950 unidentified people selling oxygen cylinders. He said he transferred the money to the accused, but the latter started ignoring his calls and messages.
The SP said the Delhi Police team had been camping in Nalanda for the last three days.
The police said most of the SIM cards used by the accused were registered in West Bengal but their locations showed at Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura and Jamtara in Jharkhand.
“During investigation, the four accused confessed they had undergone ‘training’ for cyber fraud in Nawada and Jamtara,” said the police.
The Delhi Police have lodged 372 FIRs and arrested 91 people so far from different locations, including from Bihar.
According to the Bihar Police, five persons were earlier arrested in two raids at Danapur and Barh in the state capital and handed over to the Delhi Police.
