Mathura Cyber Police Bust ‘Digital Arrest’ Gang, Five Arrested for ₹2.04 Crore Fraud

The Mathura Cyber Crime Police have busted a major cyber fraud racket involved in so-called “digital arrests” and arrested five accused, including a woman, for allegedly cheating a woman of ₹2.04 crore by impersonating officers of the CBI and Crime Branch.

The accused allegedly kept the victim under continuous psychological pressure for nearly two weeks, threatening her with charges of money laundering and forcing her to transfer large sums of money to multiple bank accounts controlled by the gang.

How the Fraud Was Executed

According to police officials, the victim, a resident of the Govind Nagar police station area, received calls on November 4 from three unknown numbers. The callers claimed to be senior officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Crime Branch. They alleged that the victim’s Aadhaar card and mobile SIM had been misused in a money laundering case.

Under the pretext of “verifying bank accounts,” the accused placed the woman under what they described as a “digital arrest,” constantly monitoring and intimidating her through phone calls and video communication. During this period, the gang managed to siphon off ₹2.04 crore from her accounts.

When the victim later realized she had been duped, she approached the cyber police station and lodged a formal complaint.

Arrests and Seizures

Following a detailed investigation, the cyber police arrested the accused from the Refinery police station area on Thursday afternoon. Those arrested include:

• Ramesh alias Ram Bishnoi, a resident of Surpura village under Jamba police station, Rajasthan
• Rahul Mangalani, resident of Sector-4, Awas Vikas Colony, Bodla, Agra
• Lakshya Agrawal, resident of Awas Vikas Colony, Agra
• Puneet Solanki, resident of Beej Ka Thok, Sahara, under Kirawali police station, Agra
• One woman accused, whose role was found to be active in the crime

Police recovered nine mobile phones, nine SIM cards, nine ATM cards, three PAN cards, two Aadhaar cards, and passbooks of 11 bank accounts from their possession.

₹46 Lakh Put on Hold, Mastermind at Large

During interrogation, the accused confessed to their involvement in the cyber fraud. Police have managed to place ₹46 lakh on hold in various bank accounts linked to the scam. The accused also revealed the identity of the gang’s mastermind, identified as MD Bishnoi, who is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest him.

Investigations revealed that the initial call to the victim was made from a Hong Kong-based mobile number, indicating the gang’s use of international routing to evade detection.

Special Team Formed

SP (Crime) Avnish Mishra stated that the accused had actively participated in the crime and that sufficient digital and financial evidence has been collected. Following the complaint, SSP Shlok Kumar constituted a special cyber investigation team under the leadership of CO Cyber Crime Gunjan Singh, which successfully cracked the case using technical surveillance and financial tracking.

Police officials have once again urged citizens to remain vigilant and warned that no law enforcement agency conducts arrests, inquiries, or financial verification through phone or video calls.