In a major crackdown, the Cuffe Parade police have successfully busted a Bihar-based gang that ran a fake website selling helicopter tours for the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. The gang, led by a 28-year-old mastermind, Mukesh Kumar, has been arrested along with four accomplices. The gang operated a fraudulent site, , which promised discounted helicopter rides to the Kumbh Mela but swindled customers out of Rs60,652 each.
The scam came to light when a Cuffe Parade family came across the site while looking for a helicopter tour. They booked a ride for 26 people but were unable to contact the operators after payment. Similarly, another complaint was lodged by Sankalp Jagdale from Colaba, who was also duped by the website. The victims were told that the rides would be operated by Pawan Hans Limited, but investigations revealed that the company does not accept bookings through third-party websites.
Further investigation uncovered that the fraudulent payments were withdrawn from ATM kiosks in Bihar Sharif, Nalanda district, Bihar. Surveillance footage led to the arrest of Avinash Kumar (21), who was responsible for withdrawing the money. His arrest led to the capture of the ringleader, Mukesh Kumar, who started this scam after returning to Bihar following a stint as a salesman in Delhi.
Saurabh Kumar, a Physics graduate, was involved in convincing potential customers to book the fraudulent helicopter rides, while Surashti Barnawal (21), a Juhu resident, provided SIM cards using unsuspecting customer details. Sanjit Kumar Mistry (24) was arrested for illegally supplying SIM cards from Mumbai.
The accused have been charged under various sections, including cheating, identity theft, and computer-related offenses under the Information Technology Act, 2000. The police continue to investigate if the gang operated other fraudulent websites.
