Raipur
Police have arrested three key members of an interstate cyber-fraud network, including its alleged ringleader, from West Bengal. An investigation into banking transactions tied to a single virtual account uncovered 176 FIRs registered across 14 states and Union Territories.
A special team from the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district police traced the suspects using technical evidence and bank account analysis, making the arrests on 30 September. Police said the virtual account linked to the network targeted over 1.71 lakh people across India.
The operation stemmed from a cyber-fraud case registered at Khadgaon police station under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Investigators found that ₹3.12 lakh defrauded from a victim was routed through nine bank accounts, with ₹60,000 transferred into virtual account number 211071614.
An analysis of this virtual account revealed connections to 176 criminal cases across the country. Karnataka recorded the highest number of FIRs at 54, followed by Bihar with 46 and Telangana with 28. Uttar Pradesh accounted for 10 cases, Kerala eight, Maharashtra seven, Haryana six, Tamil Nadu six, Delhi four, and West Bengal three. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Rajasthan registered one case each.
Police noted 31 complaints tied to the network within Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district alone. These included 15 in Ambagarh Chowki, nine in Khadgaon, three in Mohla, two in Manpur, and one each in Gotatola and Madanwada.
The arrested suspects were identified as Aditya Rajak, the main accused from Uttarpara in Hooghly district, along with Krishna Chaudhary and Suman Verma, both residents of Titagarh in North 24 Parganas district. Police teams from several states had been tracking the trio as they frequently shifted locations.
The suspects were produced before a court following their arrest.
Trainee sub-inspector Abdul Riyaz led the investigation under the supervision of senior officials at Khadgaon police station, with assistant sub-inspector Dhan Singh Mahilange serving as the investigating officer. Constables Ashish Jogi and Narmada Prasad Paikra, woman assistant constable Sarita Jade, and the district cyber cell were part of the operation.
Police have cautioned citizens against transferring money to unknown accounts and advised victims of cyber fraud to immediately report incidents to the nearest police station or the national cybercrime helpline.
