In a major breakthrough, Bidhannagar Cyber Police have arrested three youths from Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district for impersonating central investigation officials and digitally extorting Rs1.09 crore from a Kolkata resident.
The accused — Akash Nath, Neelakantha Nayak, and Manoranjan Parida — were apprehended from Kujang’s Balarampur and Balia areas after a two-day intensive operation. The trio allegedly posed as officers from the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and TRAI, claiming to have “digitally arrested” the victim under a fake money laundering probe.
The case surfaced after Subhendu Goswami of Lake Town, Kolkata, filed a complaint alleging the suspects contacted him, falsely linking him to a money laundering case involving Naresh Goyal. They threatened arrest and coerced him into transferring funds in five RTGS installments totaling Rs1.09 crore.
The fraudsters escalated demands by instructing Goswami to mortgage his gold, which raised his suspicions and led to the complaint.
Bidhannagar Cyber Police traced the suspects’ digital footprints to Kujang, Odisha. Collaborating with local police, a special team arrested the accused after undercover surveillance. Mobile phones and SIM cards used in the scam were seized.
The trio was produced before the Kujang JMFC Court and then taken on transit remand by West Bengal police for further questioning.
This case underscores the rising menace of sophisticated interstate cyber frauds leveraging fear and impersonation. Police investigations are ongoing, with the possibility of more arrests.
