In a major breakthrough against an organized cyber fraud network, Mohali Police have arrested three individuals from Gujarat involved in defrauding victims through fake investment applications. The accused were found in possession of Rs21 lakh in cash, suspected to be linked to fraudulent activities.
The scam came to light when a complainant reported being defrauded of Rs15 lakh after being lured into an investment scheme via a fraudulent mobile app. The victim was told to invest in the share market, but when he attempted to withdraw his funds, the app demanded additional money. When the victim expressed his inability to invest further, the fraudsters coerced him into providing Rs15 lakh in cash. They then directed him to a local contact to collect the money.
Following the victim’s complaint, the police registered an FIR on April 2 under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66 of the IT Act. A targeted operation was launched, leading to the arrest of the three accused: Patel Piyush Kumar, Neerajbhal H Patel, and Gohil Nikul Kumar, all residents of Mehsana, Gujarat.
The police operation also resulted in the seizure of important items, including Rs21 lakh in cash, a Maruti Swift Dzire car, a Honda Activa scooter, a cash counting machine, and five mobile phones. The police confirmed that the accused had been operating this cybercrime network for the past three years, collecting and transferring approximately Rs70-80 lakh in cash daily across the Tricity area (Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula).
In initial questioning, the arrested individuals admitted to their involvement in running the fraudulent investment app scam. The police are now working to identify the main conspirators behind the network and track the larger cyber fraud racket.
The Mohali SSP, Deepak Pareek, assured that investigations are ongoing to fully dismantle this cyber fraud network and bring all involved to justice.
