In a major breakthrough against cybercrime, the North Cyber Police arrested three men from Gujarat for their involvement in a “digital arrest” scam that defrauded a retired Air India official of Rs 67 lakh. The scammers impersonated Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers, using fear, deception, and forged documents to manipulate the victim.
The victim, a 63-year-old retired Air India employee from Malad West, was targeted between January 10 and 18, 2024. The scam began with a call from someone posing as a Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) official, claiming a phone number registered in the victim’s name was involved in harassment.
Shortly after, the victim received a WhatsApp video call from a man claiming to be CBI Officer Suraj Kumar, accusing him of money laundering, drug trafficking, and human trafficking through a fake Delhi bank account linked to his Aadhaar number. Fake CBI summonses and threats of High Court action intensified the pressure.
Under constant psychological strain, the victim remained on continuous video calls for days and transferred Rs 67 lakh across multiple accounts as instructed.
Senior officers—including Police Inspector Kiran Aher, PSI Amol Kamble, Head Constable Pavanskar, and Police Constable Sagar Meghe—tracked the perpetrators through technical surveillance, bank trail analysis, and call records, leading to coordinated raids in Gujarat.
The arrested accused are Vedant Jankidas Mahant (26) of Mathura Nagari Society, Vadodara; Mohit Hareshbhai Bhutaiyya (27) of Bhayli Kenan Road, Vadodara; and Bhavik Jasbhai Patel (43) of Chandralok Society, Vadodara.
Investigations revealed Bhavik Patel provided his bank account to receive fraudulent funds, later withdrawing cash and handing it to his co-accused, retaining Rs 6,000 as commission. Police have also issued a notice to Sagar Balu Shelke, whose account initially received Rs 30 lakh.
A police official explained, “The accused used a layered banking system to disguise transactions, routing money through various accounts to evade detection. They relied heavily on WhatsApp for communication, using video calls and fake documents to maintain pressure.”
During interrogation, it was disclosed that Vedant had travelled to Dubai to convert fake Indian rupees into US dollars, which were then brought back and sold locally at a commission. Bhutaiyya allegedly provided bank accounts, while Patel managed deposits and disbursements.
All three were produced before the Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court on June 28, with police seeking 7-day custody for further questioning.
Police are continuing their probe under Section 35(3) of the IT Act, investigating cross-border transfers, hawala networks, and additional accomplices linked to Sagar Balu Shelke and Rohan Rohidas Tawar.
