Raipur: Cyber police in Raigarh have arrested three people for allegedly cheating a man of Rs 11.60 lakh by promising high returns on investments in digital tokens, including Unity Meta Token and Bitcoin.

The complainant, Vikram Parida, 26, a native of Odisha’s Ganjam district residing in Raigarh, lodged a complaint at the cyber police station. Police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched an investigation.

According to police, Parida came into contact with the prime accused, Gajula Mohan, who worked as a cook at a fast-food outlet in the Chakradhar Nagar area. Mohan allegedly persuaded him to invest in digital tokens by promising substantial returns within a short period. Trusting the offer, Parida sold his farmland and transferred Rs 11.60 lakh between July 25 and September 3, 2024.

Investigators found that the money was routed through the bank account of Bhavesh Patel, an associate involved in Bitcoin operations, with the help of another accused, Chandan Das. Despite repeated follow-ups, the complainant allegedly received neither the promised returns nor his principal amount.

Police also found that a fraud case involving other complainants had been registered against Mohan at Chakradhar Nagar police station in 2025. He had allegedly evaded law enforcement after obtaining a stay order from a court.

Acting under the direction of Senior Superintendent of Police Sashi Mohan Singh, cyber police analysed bank statements and mobile phone records to trace the accused. Mohan, Das and Patel were arrested and allegedly confessed to their involvement during interrogation. Police seized mobile phones suspected to have been used in the offence.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the alleged network extends to Odisha and Mumbai, with funds being channelled to other operatives. Police are examining the financial trail to establish the extent of the fraud and identify other suspected accomplices.

The SSP has urged citizens to verify the legality, credibility and authorisation of online investment schemes, digital currencies and crypto tokens before investing.