crime news: Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), Nov 22: After a five-month investigation, Jharsuguda police in Odisha successfully uncovered an inter-state cybercrime racket, arresting four individuals from Gujarat for allegedly defrauding an elderly couple of Rs 34 lakh through digital arrest fraud.
The incident occurred in May this year, when Jagdish Karabhai Bhardwaj filed a complaint with Jharsuguda Sadar police, claiming that the accused had posed as senior crime branch officers and threatened the couple with money laundering charges.
The accused—Shahrukh Umar Khatik (27), Sharad Sukalal Mali @ Ajay (25), Rahil Seikh (24), and Malek Shahrukh Hanif Isha (26), all from Surat—told the victims their bank accounts had been flagged for money laundering and forced them into ‘digital arrest.’ To settle the matter, the victims were coerced into transferring Rs 34 lakh in two instalments, which the gang swiftly moved through multiple bank accounts.
Following extensive digital and financial investigations, the police traced the accused across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. In raids, they seized 20 cell phones, three laptops, three personal computers, and Rs 2 lakh in cash. Rs 33 lakh of the stolen money has been recovered, and Rs 17 lakh in fraudulent transactions have been frozen.
