Former Indian Idol contestant Avanti Patel, sister duped of ₹1.75 lakh in cyber fraud

A police officer confirmed that based on a complaint by former Indian Idol contestant Avanti Patel, a case was registered under section 420 of the Indian penal code and different sections of the Information Technology Act.

The Sion police on Saturday arrested a 22-year-old man from Jharkhand for cheating former Indian Idol contestant Avanti Patel and her sister of ₹1.75 lakh. A police team was sent to Jharkhand and the accused, identified as Rajkumar Mandal, was tracked down with the help of Jharkhand’s Deoghar cyber cell.

Fraud prevention button, concept about cybersecurity, credit card and identity protection against cyberattack and online thieves (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Police have seized 15 mobile phones, four passbooks and a debit card from the accused. They suspect that two others are involved in the fraud.

“The accused transferred the money through different bank accounts they owned. We have taken a transit remand of Sharma. He was produced in a local court and remanded him into police custody,” said assistant police inspector Prashant Kamble.

According to the complaint, Patel had recently received a new debit card when she got a call from the accused, posing as a bank executive named Pankaj Sharma, on December 31, 2018. The accused asked her why she had not activated her new card yet. Offering to assist her in setting up the card, the accused asked for her card details.

Mandal assured Patel that the amount would soon be refunded. He then asked her to give him details of another account to which the money would be refunded. Patel shared details of her sister’s account, from which another ₹50,000 got debited. Patel filed a complaint at the Sion police station the same day. Later, another ₹50,000 and ₹25,000 was debited from Patel and her sister’s account, respectively.

Lalita Gaikwad, senior police inspector, Sion police station confirmed that based on Patel’s complaint a case was registered under section 420 of the Indian penal code and different sections of the Information Technology Act, “With the help of details share by Patel of the accused like the mobile number and bank details we started the investigation,” added Gaikwad.