Bhubaneswar Police have apprehended three men for operating fraudulent bank accounts to facilitate cybercrime in the city. The arrests were made in connection with Capital Police Station Case No. 174, registered on March 11, 2026, under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the IT Act.
The accused have been identified as Krishna Naik (25), Mahendra Naik (21), and Tukuna Naik (37), all originally from Nayagarh district and currently residing in Bhagabati Basti, Unit-9, Bhubaneswar. Investigators revealed that the trio collected personal documents from local residents, including Santosh Ghadei, and used them to open bank accounts at UCO Bank near Master Canteen. They retained control of the passbooks and ATM cards to channel money from cyber fraud activities.
Authorities discovered that one account in Santosh Ghadei’s name recorded transactions worth Rs 1,48,203 without his knowledge. Santosh later confirmed that he had been promised a commission by the accused in exchange for allowing his documents to be misused. Similar fraudulent accounts were reportedly opened in the names of other local residents.
During interrogation, the trio admitted their involvement in the scheme. Police seized eight passbooks, ATM cards, and a mobile phone from the accused. Officials stated that this case underscores how cybercriminals exploit mule accounts to launder money obtained through online fraud.
Bhubaneswar Police have reiterated their commitment to cracking down on cybercrime and urged citizens to safeguard personal documents and report any suspicious activity.
